Echoes of the Past
by DrYuriMom
Summary: Chikaru mused about the walls of Strawberry Hall- if they could only talk, what stories would they tell...
1. The Shadow Pixie of Saint Miator

**Echoes of the Past  
>The Roomkeeper: Part I <strong>

**The Shadow Pixie of Saint Miator**

_Tradition._

_Sweet. Cute. Adorable._

_Humiliating. Demeaning. Insulting._

_Which is it?_

_Yes._

* * *

><p>Monday, May 13, 1996, Evening (POV: Uchida Hisoka)<p>

"Damn!" Although expected, the timid knock at the door startled **Uchida Hisoka** and she poked her finger with the needle she was using to mend frayed lace on her voluminous Miator winter uniform. As she watched blood well up on her fingertip, not for the first time she bemoaned her parents' choice to send her to Miator and not Spica. _At least their uniforms are simple...and probably self mending. I'm sure a Spica student would claim so in public at least_. "Hopefully she'll be good at sewing," she muttered.

"That would defeat the purpose, dear roomie. You won't get any better if you don't practice, and they assess our sewing at the end of the term. Or did you miss that part of the "Miator School for Brides" brochure they pawned on our parents?" came a voice from across the room.

Hisoka looked up from her work to glare across the dorm at her roommate ironing near the entrance to the bathroom they shared along with just about everything else. "So, are you going to get it?"

"Hmm, let me think..." replied the red haired slip of a girl in a voice dripping with sweet sarcasm, her face never rising from her work. "I seem to remember someone said something just last night when I went to the door to let Subaru-chan and Mayumi-chan in for the tea party. Something about talking at the door until sunrise, at which point we'd all be shampooing the upholstery in the staff lounges of all three schools until sunset under the 'tender mercies' of Mother Superior. I'm sure you don't want me to keep the poor girl at the doorway until curfew, do you?" The redhead continued to focus intently on her ironing.

_I get all the attitude of Spica and none of the benefits. Only one more year and I get a room to myself. Will I survive until then...or more importantly will she?_

Hisoka silently began the litany from one to ten in her mind that had saved the life of her roommate on more than one occasion. She was at seven when the knock at the door was repeated.

"The universe hates me," Hisoka declared as she set aside her confounded uniform and thrice-damned sewing kit and arose to get the door.

"At least there's symmetry," came the voice again from across the room.

"**Aoi Hiromi**, you will put that iron down right now and at least pretend to be a passably decent human being for our kōhai or I will take said iron and deposit it up that famously pert little ass of yours."

"Since you ask so nicely..." Hiromi replied with that radiant smile she seemed to be able to turn on like a light, and with about as much effort.

Any response from Hisoka was cut off by a third knock at the door, this one even less confident than the previous two, if that was even possible. Hisoka turned toward the door and strode to it, pretending as she often attempted to do that she was already in her fifth year and Hiromi was somewhere, anywhere, else than in the same room with her. A moment later, she was looking through an open door at yet another, albeit smaller and less curvy, redhead. _Oh wonderful, from the frying pan and into the fire..._

"Oosaki-san, I must admit I'm surprised the good Sister let you do this. Did you go through the lottery or were we perhaps specially selected for this honor because of our reputation?"

Silence.

_The Shadow Pixie of Saint Miator, miraculously detached from the skirts of Sister Hamasaka. The Miator pair known for "discouraged" activities. Something seems to stretch the bounds of random chance here._

"When you're done with the interrogation Hisoka-chan, would you be a dear and allow her in before curfew." The honey sweet smile on Hiromi's lips was audible for both girls at the door.

_Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth._

"Yes, please do come in," Hisoka said, trying to appear honestly inviting. "As my histrionic socialite of a roommate points out, I am being rude to keep you at the door. Welcome to our humble abode." She waved back at the dorm.

Hisoka drew herself and the door back as the child-like girl slipped by her and stood just inside the room, apparently uncertain in which direction she was supposed to direct her traditional introduction. Hisoka took pity on the poor thing, closed the door, and walked around the kōhai to stand next to Hiromi.

Looking back at the young first year, everything about the girl was perfect- immaculate Miator black with the oh-so-sweet angel-white apron of a roomkeeper over it. The condition of her uniform wasn't surprising given Keiko had lived in Strawberry Hall as long as Hisoka had, what was perplexing was her face. _I've seen her around Miator and the dorms for over three years now, but I think this is the first time I've actually seen her eyes._ Keiko's characteristic long bangs had been pulled back, almost certainly by someone other than the girl, with a hair clip. Looking into Keiko's face, measuring her posture, Hisoka saw again where the girl picked up the "shadow" moniker. That and her notoriety for lurking at the edges of just about anything happening in the Hall. Watching.

_She'll win any poker game she ever plays._

For all her social ineptness and neurotic introversion, Hisoka was well known in Strawberry Hall for her empathy. Whether she liked it or not, she resonated with the emotions around her. It was the reason WHY she liked machines and devices more than people, much to the annoyance of Miator's hierarchy who appreciated clothes irons over soldering irons. When you had no choice but to feel the emotions of those around you, it got exhausting quickly. Despite all that, for the first time in her memory she stood before someone who was...not...there. Emotionally, the girl was a ghost...a shade...a shadow. No emotion. As refreshing as it might seem under other circumstances, at the moment it was...disconcerting, especially when combined with the girl's lack of emotive of language either.

_No wonder this girl freaks everyone out._

"Oosaki Keiko desu. I am honored to be your roomkeeper this year and will strive to help you in any way I can," and then a deep bow...perfect...straight...but again voice and action devoid of emotion.

Traditional, cute, demeaning. All and none, in one neat package. Hisoka had often wondered who came up with this system, if for no other reason than to build a time machine to go back and throttle her.

"It is an honor to have you here, Keiko-chan," Hisoka heard her roommate say as she moved to stand in front of Keiko. "My, you look so adorable!"

As always, when Hiromi engaged, Hisoka simply stood back and watched in amazement as her roomate said all the right things, her body language impeccably inviting and disarming. Never mind the numerous rendezvous and trysts this child had reportedly ruined. Never mind that Hiromi had more grievances against Miator's infamous little sprite than perhaps any other student in Strawberry Hall. At the moment you'd think little Keiko was Hiromi oneesama's little sister in truth as well as formality.

_The amazing thing is it's all real. I've rarely known Hiromi to hold a grudge or affix blame...and I'd know given I'm the only one who's not bespelled by her charms. At least the only one who hadn't...yet at least...entered an order._

Hisoka fell into the familiar routine watching quietly as her roommate effortlessly become the center of someone's universe, their hearts putty in her hands. Only Keiko-chan wasn't relaxing. She was stiff as a board. It occurred to Hisoka that Keiko hadn't said a word since her introduction, despite Hiromi's famously effective efforts to draw her out. A hand on the elbow, a gentle arm around the shoulder to draw her towards the back of the dorm. Still nothing.

_Okay, this is too painful to watch._

Knowing it would be an invasion of her roomies turf, her famous "moves", Hisoka nevertheless gently slid to where the two girls were standing at the doorway to the bathroom and interrupted Hiromi's ineffectual efforts. "Keiko-chan, where do you want to be right now?" Hisoka asked with effort to make it sound neutral, not rhetorical, and to appear truly interested in the answer.

Startlement barely displayed. A moment of eye contact. A torrent of jumbled, anguished emotions lasting an instant. Then control reasserted. "I wish to do my best to live up to the expectations you have for your roomkeeper."

_Way to dodge the question, kid._

Hisoka looked past Keiko towards Hiromi. A shrug was her roommates signal. Hiromi was an empath in her own egocentric way and hadn't missed anything either...but likewise had no ideas. At least there was no sign of annoyance toward Hisoka stemming from the recent presumption.

_Clearly there's a lot more to this girl than the rumors._

After a few moments of awkward silence, Keiko spoke again. "I'm sure you were very busy before I came and need to finish your sewing and ironing. If I may be excused?"

Just like that. The kōhai's forthrightness was amazing, and very unlike any first year Miator student she'd ever known. Hisoka looked again towards Hiromi. Another shrug, but her face was clearly more troubled.

"Yes, it is somewhat late and I'm sure we all have much to do before curfew. Hopefully we can all talk some more tomorrow after a good night's rest." _And some tea and a long walk to make this headache go away_. Hisoka walked to the door and opened it for the girl, who promptly bowed and fled through it. Relief perhaps the only emotion not clamped down during the entire bizarre encounter. Hisoka watched her go around the corner and out of sight before closing the door again.

_Deep breath, in through the nose and out through the mouth._

"What just happened?" Hiromi asked once the door was shut.

Hisoka turned back to respond to her roommate. "I think we've discovered a second rare entity with a pulse and outside a habit that you can't vamp at will."

Hiromi's eye's clouded and brows furrowed in thought. "I'll concede she isn't an extrovert for sure, but I wouldn't exactly write me off yet. Still...she certainly does live up to her freaky reputation, doesn't she?"

"I've never been around someone so cold," Hisoka mused.

"You've managed to avoid yourself, you mean?" Hiromi added with cocked head and raised eyebrow, but with an impish sparkle in her eyes.

_Thank you dear heart. I really did need that...and you know it. Maybe you've added me to your little collection too and I just never realized it. Do any of the other girls realize they're in your web, I wonder?_ "I've been out of my mind most of my life, but at least there's no doubt I have one, unlike others in this room." _I know, lame response, but for once I hope you'll let it slide._

Hisoka strode from the closed door back to her bed to take up the detested sewing again. Hiromi was right, if she wanted to make it to her fifth year, it was going to be through, among many other domestic indignities, a sewing test.

_"School for Brides" indeed..._

* * *

><p><strong><em>***Author's Notes***<em>**

This story is a prequel to the events of Strawberry Panic and extends back directly from events in my other story, **Voices of the Present**, describing the events following the E'toile election of Hikari and Amane-senpai. I would encourage anyone reading this to at least read Chapter One of the other story, but this story will stand fine on its own.

I have gotten questions about the "School for Brides" thing. I pulled it straight out of the light novels on which SP! is based. If you're curious, read the wiki entry on Strawberry Panic.


	2. The Grandniece

**Echoes of the Past  
>The Roomkeeper: Part II <strong>

**The Grandniece**

* * *

><p>Monday, May 13, 1996, late evening (POV: Uchida Hisoka)<p>

**Uchida Hisoka** examined her black winter uniform one more time to be sure all looked presentable. Appearance was seen as very important for all the schools, but especially for Miator with all the precious traditions to uphold. _That and it takes a fashion genius just to wear it properly._ Still, she had to admit it was definitely the most visually appealing of the three school uniforms on Astraea Hill. Spica uniforms, while simple and perhaps utilitarian, looked to be designed to attract non-existent campus boys. Le Rim uniforms, while likely the most sensible, had an appearance as eclectic as their student body. Miator uniforms, while challenging to don and maintain, exuded femininity and a sense of the history of the school.

_They're still a pain to deal with._

Hisoka sighed and looked away from her hanging garment. It had felt like an amazingly long evening. Since Keiko-chan's abrupt arrival, and even more abrupt departure, the usual banter between herself and her roommate had faded to silence even before the lusty redhead had slipped off to more amorous pastures. Hisoka had been left to her own thoughts, which was never a good thing even with less to think about. It was sometimes good to be reminded of how important Hiromi-chan had become to her mental stability, given how annoying she could so often be.

_I think it's time to take that walk I promised myself after Keiko-chan left._

She debated the outdoor early May chill and chose to place a sweater over her nightgown. Despite Hisoka's conservative nightware, if she were going anywhere but around the enclosed walls of Strawberry Hall she would never go out in so little. Still, the grounds within the walls may as well be a world apart and Hisoka had come to enjoy the freedom to walk around at night in whatever seemed appropriate for the weather and her sense of general good taste.

_That's not to say one might not get accosted by someone with lascivious intentions, but at least one is guaranteed the attentions are coming from another girl, one you already know and likely with some advance warning of the interest._

Most would consider it risking fate with the "light's out" Sister to go out in the open this late, so clearly after dorm room curfew, but she'd gone for midnight walks so many times, and weathered the punishments so many times, in years past that the Sisters had pretty much given up on her. As long as she was serene and "prayerful", her behavior was tolerated. That was just the tip of the iceberg regarding the behavior of both roommates which Hisoka still suspected was part of the reason the infamous Oosaki Keiko was now their roomkeeper.

_If that's the case, the Sisters and Miator have another thing coming. Honestly, I have nothing to lose. What are they going to do, report me to father? As long as I maintain my precious "marriage suitability" and live up to his academic expectations he really couldn't care less what I do. And anyway, regardless of what Miator or the Sisters might feel, I don't see Spica tolerating anything which would endanger the precious endowment to Spica's science and technology program which sweetened the deal for the whole system to handle my "unruly demeanor"…not to mention made it possible for me to stay here without losing my mind. Too bad it annoys Miator so much._

Hisoka's thoughts had taken her beyond the main entryway of the Miator side of Strawberry Hall and out into the courtyard. She was glad the stars were out and found admiring their crisp, shimmering light to be a pleasant distraction from her previous thought directions. Astronomy was another of her passions, and she was looking forward to another early morning at the telescope with Subaru-chan and Mayumi-chan of Le Rim.

_I'm not going to get much sleep tonight, but if I were in bed I'd be tossing and turning anyway._

The stars had guided her relatively close to the walls. She turned parallel to the barrier at that point, careful to provide a discrete distance from any of the denser foliage which occasionally provided the illusion of shelter for less discrete lovers. Hisoka felt anyone with any sense should realize that these were the first places the "lights out" Sister would look. Still, she'd heard the tell-tale sounds before during previous walks and had learned to steer clear.

Given the respectful distance she was yielding, it came as a surprise when she actually became aware of noise coming from a small thicket of bushes up ahead. It wasn't much, but it was audible to someone as perceptive as she...or a Sister. _The Sister won't be too long finding you ladies_, she thought before she realized the sound was not moans of pleasure but whimpers and soft sobs of heartbreak. Even that she would have written off to a spurned lover, but the sense of pain the young empath felt in the depths of the sobbing seemed to go beyond that level. _Someone is really hurting in there_, she realized.

Hisoka stood for several moments, barely breathing, trying to make out who it might be. Her reservedness and tendency to stay above the student drama at Strawberry Hall unless asked for advice had given her a reputation for discretion and wisdom. She was something of the unofficial counselor among the younger students of all three schools, and the voice was definitely young. Still, the voice, the inflection of the distress, didn't feel familiar.

The Miatoran was still trying to make out the situation when the sounds suddenly stopped. Hisoka tried to stay perfectly still and quiet, hoping she hadn't somehow given herself away. The bushes in the area were not contiguous, and so there was no escape that didn't either involve climbing the walls or ending up in the open. A wise person in this instance who didn't want to be discovered would continue to lay low, silent and unmoving, until the threat passed. _Like a rabbit. Okay wise little rabbit, I'll respect your space._

Hisoka decided her game was up and that she was likely the source of the caution on the part of the hurting one. _She's good. I wasn't making a sound and I'm in a shadow; I can't imagine how I was discovered_. Hisoka continued on, consciously making occasional scuffing sounds as she walked in order to assure the girl that the threat was, indeed, passing.

_I wish I knew who that was. She really does need help. I can't say I've ever heard anguish like that before. _

Jumbled anguish.

_I haven't heard it, but I've glimpsed it in the eyes of someone. Keiko-chan! _Hisoka stopped and looked back towards the brush. A small figure in black with brown hair…probably red in the light…was creeping low to the ground, making remarkably swift progress while sticking to whatever shadow was available. _The Shadow Pixie living up to her name._

Hisoka watched as the figure trailed off into a shadow beyond Hisoka's ability to peer through, and left her sight entirely. _She's really good at this. Something must really have been hitting her hard to have allowed her to be caught crying. I don't get a sense she's someone who often lets herself open to being caught like that._

Not for the first time tonight, Hisoka marveled at the mysterious girl. _We all have stories here, some of us more tragic than others, but something tells me hers is something really unusual and dark. _

Hisoka turned around to begin walking forward again when she found her path occupied by Sister Hamasaka, no more than 10 feet away. The Catholic nun was giving her a hard, searching look. She seemed unhappy, even for her. _Oh wonderful. I'm losing my touch- I had no idea she was coming up on me…and in a foul mood at that. Oh well, here goes._

"Good evening, Sister Hamasaka. It's a fine night for gazing at mysterious things in the Heavens and on Earth, wouldn't you say?"

"There are mysteries and there are mysteries, Uchida-san. I wonder if you are really as prepared to unravel certain mysteries as you believe you are, how capable you are to deal with the consequences and responsibilities that come with unearthing some things perhaps best left buried, even if the cost be a soul." Sister Hamasaka's eyes shifted over Hisoka's shoulder. Hisoka turned to look back in the direction Keiko-chan had fled, but there was no further sign of the girl.

_A soul?_ Sister Hamasaka had been dealing with Strawberry Hall students for over 30 years. She wasn't one for exaggeration. It was clear the nun was referring to Keiko-chan, had heard and seen what Hisoka had, perhaps from the opposite direction. _What is she trying to say?_

"Uchida-san, you and Aoi-san are irreverent and unconventional. These are two traits I detest, and I fear your disregard for authority, tradition, and the proper order of things will be your undoing…and perhaps the undoing of many around you. That said, some problems may require a new approach, and there are some things that faith, devotion, and discipline may not be able to overcome. After three years, I am ready to concede my grand-niece may be one such problem."

_So that's the connection between Sister Hamasaka and Keiko-chan! Why Keiko-chan was allowed to live in Strawberry Hall for over three years before formally beginning her first year at Miator._

"I can see the wheels turning already, Uchida-san. I'm not sure whether I find that unnerving or reassuring." Sister Hamasaka went silent for a while, looking intensely at Hisoka as if measuring her.

Hisoka returned the Sister's gaze, not yielding and not providing the Sister any opening to withdraw from the conversation. _You're going to finish this, by God!_

The edges of Sister Hamasaka's mouth curled up just the barest fraction.

_I think that's the closest thing to a smile I've ever seen her come._

"As I suspect you have divined, the selection of your and Aoi-san's new roomkeeper was not random. Oosaki-san needs something I cannot provide. I can protect her from elements outside these walls, for the moment at least, but I cannot protect her from within. She's increasingly rebellious against me. Many of my colleagues have written her off as already lost, which just further complicates things and renders me even more ineffectual." She frowned. "Oosaki-san needs relationships with those her own age, Uchida-san, and for this I find myself thinking the unconventional approach may be best. Are you up to saving a soul?"

_A soul? What are you dancing around?_

"Are the stakes truly that high? Forgive me, I know you have been dealing with girls our age for twice as long as I've walked this Earth, but this sounds really deep for someone as young as Keiko-chan."

Sister Hamasaka gave Hisoka another long, searching look. "Uchida-san, I love my grand-niece despite all that has happened. There are some things that have amazingly never come to light here and I would prefer to leave things that way. Suffice it to say that Oosaki-san is hurting and she does not know how to extract herself from the pain. I have helped her all I can. I think it best to leave to you and Aoi-san to build whatever relationship you may with her, rather than me try to direct you. As I have said, I am trusting in your lack of convention. If I guide you, I disturb the very dynamic I am praying will save the girl."

_I can't easily argue with that, now can I?_

"You knew my very nature wouldn't permit me to say no. Still, what if I fail? You describe such high stakes, and I'm a 15 year old unconventional Miator student who spends half her time at Spica and good portion of the rest at Le Rim. You say there are mysteries and there are mysteries. I reply there are responsibilities and there are responsibilities."

"I take full responsibility for whatever happens to Keiko in the end. I failed her even before she came to this place, for not taking responsibility for her when my sister died. I will have to answer to St Peter for my actions and inactions. After much prayer and meditation, the only possible answer I have found to my dilemma is you. It is said that God works in mysterious ways. It would be a true rebuke of me by our Lord if you are successful, but I would humbly welcome such a response to my hubris. Now, Uchida-san, it is nearly three hours after dorm curfew. I must insist you return to your room and await Aoi-san's eventual return from her current dalliance with Saito-san. If you follow your routine clear-sky Tuesday morning habits, Nakahara-san will be awaiting you at the gate in only four hours. You need sleep."

Hisoka's jaw dropped at the Sister's revelation of the extent of her awareness, and her headache returned with a vengeance. She collected herself quickly and strode swiftly back to the door to the Miator wing of Strawberry Hall._ I'm not sure who I find more frightening, the great-aunt or her grand-niece._

* * *

><p><strong>***Dedication***<strong>

This chapter is dedicated to Rin-chan (PenName "XxRin-sanxX") who said she couldn't wait for Chapter II, and so here it is dear. :-)


	3. The Snitch of Strawberry Hall

**Echoes of the Past  
><strong>**The Roomkeeper: Part III**

**The Snitch of Strawberry Hall**

* * *

><p>Tuesday, May 7th, 1996, very early morning (POV: Aoi Hiromi)<p>

"Something's distracting you, Hiromi-chan. You're somewhere else tonight, which is so not like you. What, or perhaps should I say who, is really on your mind?"

**Aoi Hiromi** ceased her admittedly half-hearted attentions of the girl before her in bed and planted her face into her pillow in embarrassment. "I'm sorry Shouri-san. I didn't think it was that obvious."

"I've known you for three years. I may be an athlete, but I'm not that THAT muscle-headed. Even at 50%, you're probably the best lover on campus, but I've had you in my arms too many times for you to fool me. Is this something you can tell Shouri-chan about? Or shall I instead wear the mantle of President Saito and order it out?" The older girl's intentionally comedic attempt to look official and imperious while horizontal and naked with one hand on Hiromi's left breast and the other propping up her own head was ridiculous and elicited the intended smile.

"Perhaps both. Hisoka-chan and I met our new roomkeeper tonight."

A look of understanding entered Shouri's face, but she simply said, "Ah, so visions of cute aprons are filling your head. And here I thought you gravitated towards older girls; the more mature type as opposed to the moe thing. So, who'd you get?"

"Shouri, not only do you already know, you know something more you're going to try not to tell me."

"So, I'm not the only perceptive one in the bed tonight."

Hiromi poked the other girl's belly button. "Dodging won't work. You know you can't say no to me when I'm persistent." The finger began meandering downward.

"You're welcome to seduce it out of me, kohai, but I will in the interests of fairness let you know that, where Keiko-chan is concerned, I'm not exactly a wealth of information."

"We'll see about that," Hiromi purred and started lightly touching her lover in the ticklish spots she knew would quickly become erotic very soon with her experienced efforts.

*****PGBR*****

"So, you want to know about your new roomkeeper." A statement, not a question from one still sporting a dreamy, content smile and unfocused eyes. "All I can say with certainly is that her guardian, Sister Hamasaka, gave the Miator student council instructions that your roomkeeper welcome note was not to be part of the lottery. She instructed, instead, that it be handed to her. She told me to record Keiko as having drawn your and Uchida-san's welcome, not to speak of it, and walked off with an apron under one arm before the lottery even happened."

"You're sure that's it?"

Shouri-san turned her head to look again at her lover and her eyes focused. "Hiromi-chan, while I wouldn't be so sure I couldn't resist your charms, in this case that really is just it. Everything else I know are the rumors we all know."

"You were here when Keiko-chan came to Strawberry Hall. Perhaps you know rumors I don't."

"I suppose." The older girl sighed. "She came to Strawberry Hall near the end of my second year. Sister Hamasaka agreed to take in a troubled girl from elsewhere in Japan. The other Sisters weren't happy about it, but Sister Hamasaka had Mother Superior's blessing. Although she's been living in Strawberry Hall the whole time with Sister Hamasaka and has been integrated into some classes at Miator even before her official admittance to the school, Keiko has never been a subject of the student council since she arrived. The Sisters and the Miator Headmistress handle her situation personally. Keiko's been getting intensive tutoring from the Sisters and selected Miator faculty until this year when she tracked into the first year class with her yearmates. Academically, she is extremely advanced. Socially...not so much. She still lives with Sister Hamasaka here in Strawberry Hall rather than Hamasaka going back to the Sister's Residence and Keiko getting a proper roommate even though we have an odd number right now in her year with her not included. She's known as the "Shadow Pixie of Miator" because she's always on the edges of everything, watching, but disappears if noticed and approached, and "The Snitch of Strawberry Hall" because she always seems to be there and then vanishes before people get caught at something. You were reportedly her victim several times during your second year, I understand. She never interacts with other students to my knowledge, and the avoidance is reciprocated. She's seen as a bad omen."

"Hisoka-chan thinks we got selected for her in order to clip our wings."

"Quite possibly, dear one." Shouri-san shrugged. "If that's the case, I feel sorry for the child and her foolish puppeteer. I'm no match for the two of you when you have a common cause. I daresay the E'toile couldn't stand a concerted effort by you both. If you're worrying about snitch-chan crimping your style, I wouldn't fret. She's only one little girl, however freaky. An inconvenience, but nothing more."

"I suppose. After spending a few moments with her in our room, and I truly do mean a few moments- she was in and out like a bird, I'm more concerned for her than Hisoka and I. There's something about her …"

"Ah, so the little one touched your heart. Hiromi-chan, you can't save everyone."

"And why not?"

"Because I'd get jealous of your diverted energies." The President of Saint Miator School for Girls reached over to Hiromi to draw her close again.

"Ah, the truth comes out from the ski champion of Strawberry Hall."

"I think President Iwamura of Spica or E'toile Bleue might dispute that title."

"Perhaps, but my champion you beat them both at the last Nationals."

"Only by tenths of a second. Iwamura-san's beaten me the previous two events, and Sumiko-sama the time before that."

"Details. You have the only trophy that matters. Me. But it's a fickle trophy, you know. Appreciate it or it will wander off. You know I never stay won for long." A coy smile was directed at Hiromi's lover.

"To the victor goes the spoils?"

Hiromi's undistracted and unreserved kiss was her response.

*****PGBR*****

_I still don't know what to make of the child._

It was after 1am and Hiromi was carefully making her way back to her room, left only with her caution and her thoughts. She had a rule born of previous experience that she never actually slept with any lover. It left them with a sense of ownership she wasn't interested in granting anyone she'd yet met. _In fact, the only one still at Miator or Strawberry Hall that has seen me actually sleeping, rather than just napping, is Hisoka-chan, and she's as sexless as an ice cube. "My only failure" she seems so proud to claim, fortunately only in private or with the Le Rim duet. Truth is, I never really tried. The idea of sex never felt right with her. I think something inside me realizes I need at least one uncomplicated close friend to let inside my shields._

_Anyway, I wonder what Hisoka-chan must have thought this evening about the kohai. Her mind was on overdrive this evening such that I swear there was smoke coming out of her ears. It was clear she needed to process things, and Lord knows I needed to bounce the events off Shouri-san. The 'horizontal calisthenics' didn't hurt either. _She smiled again at the memory of the evening.

_I wish I knew what had happened to make Keiko-chan like this. The Sisters, especially Hamasaka, are strict. Would being their pet for your entire latter childhood make someone an emotional black hole?_ Hiromi shivered at the intial thought, but then rejected it. _No, the Sisters did not make this child the way she is. I'm sure of it. Shouri-san said she was identified as a "troubled girl from elsewhere in Japan". I'd heard that before from others as well. She was damaged before she came here and whatever the Sisters are doing isn't helping her._

_We now know for sure that Keiko-chan was assigned to us on purpose. Now we're left with the question; is the goal for her to be an influence on us or us to be one on her? What is old Hamasaka's game here?_

_One thing's for sure; if we're supposed to help her, the first thing is to get her in her own room. Even if she doesn't share it with a roommate, she has to get out from Hamasaka's shadow._

_Circles within circles, like peeling an onion._

The analogy was her final thought as she approached her dormroom door. _Whew, once again made it without getting caught. So far I'm 17 for 17 six weeks into my fourth year. Either the Sisters are losing their touch or I'm getting better at this...or maybe they just gave up on me like they did on Hisoka and aren't trying to catch me anymore. Somehow, given my predilections, I kinda doubt it. Ultimately, what they don't know won't hurt them though._ She smiled at her cleverness as she slipped into the room. Once the door was closed, she closed her eyes and allowed her acute sense of sound to scope the room out. She could hear Hisoka's breathing in the direction of her bed. The sound was steady, clearly her roommate was fully asleep. _Ah well, it would have been nice to compare notes. There's no way I'm staying up for two hours for when she wakes up, and I'm damned well not going to wake up for 3am. She'll just have to wait to hear what I've learned._

Hiromi made her way to her bed, slipped into it, shifted her long hair out of her face, and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>***Authors Notes***<strong>

Shouri (勝利) means victory, and would be an atypical girl name. Her parents are both accomplished athletes and had high expectations of their child. She might have better fit in Spica, but mom is a Miator alumna. It turned out fine given the rivalry between Shouri and her rival in Spica wouldn't have been so spectacular had they been in the same school. Think Shion and Miyiuki with the added spice of direct athletic competition. One of the primary roles of the E'toile Bleue this year so far has been keeping the two from killing each other. She is also competitive and an accomplished skiier, but values sportsmanship over victory.


	4. Death's Angel

**Echoes of the Past**  
><strong>The Roomkeeper: Part IV<strong>

**Death's Angel**

* * *

><p><em>The early bird gets the worm.<em>

_Conversely, the early worm gets the bird._

_Moral: Unless you're top of the food chain- SLEEP IN!_

* * *

><p>Tuesday, May 14, 1996, pre-dawn (POV: Uchida Hisoka)<p>

**Uchida Hisoka** was not a morning person. It was said that attending the schools of Astraea Hill would change girls for life. It didn't take voices in her head to suggest that this new habit of frequently arising at 3am was not going to be a life-long one, yet here she was practicing her new early morning skills. As she donned a sweater over her freshly mended winter Miator uniform, she took the opportunity to look over at her roommate, who had arrived back in the dorm from warming the Miator President's bed only a few hours before Hisoka had gotten up. Flowing red hair flayed over her pillow and a line of drool emitted from the right crease of her mouth.

_How picturesque._ _I should take a photograph and distribute it to her throng of admirers._ The thought brought the first hint of a smile to Hisoka's mouth since the strange happenings of the previous night.

Hisoka turned away from the slumbering nymph, quietly exited the room, and started down the hall. She made her way out the main door and into the chill, pre-dawn air. True to the weather forecast, the sky was crisp and clear and the stars were in their full splendour_. Looks like some great 'seeing'. Subaru-chan will be pleased. And speaking of Subaru-chan…_

As Hisoka approached the still closed gate, she noted her two friends, Subaru and Mayumi of Le Rim, already waiting for her.

"Good morning!" the brown haired Subaru exclaimed once Hisoka was in reasonable hearing distance.

"Ever the morning person, I see," Hisoka replied.

"We three are the Le Rim Astronomical Society after all. Morning, night, whatever works in order to see the sky!"

"And since the Sisters lock us in from 6pm until the lights-out sister opens the gates to prepare for sunrise service in the Chapel, that means o'dark thirty in the morning," The athletically-built and blonde-haired Mayumi added. Mayumi and Hisoka shared the 'long suffering' look of two night people for whom 3am would forever be alien as anything except just possibly time to go to sleep. Subaru looked from one girl to the other and just shook her head.

Hisoka caught movement in the corner of her eye and turned to see Sister Hamasaka with Keiko-chan in tow, walking toward the gate. Keiko-chan had returned to her previous "sheep dog" hairstyle which effectively obscured her eyes. _Back to being a riddle wrapped in an enigma, are we now._

Hisoka started off with, "Good morning, Sister Hamasaka. I hope you slept well."

The Sister simply nodded and unlocked the gate. Hisoka and Mayumi proceeded to place the gates in the fully open position.

This time is was Subaru who spoke. "Have a wonderful service, Sister Hamasaka. You too, Oosaki-san."

Again just a nod from the Sister and nothing from the child, and the two continued on in the direction of the Chapel.

"Do you think that woman will ever interact around me?" Mayumi expressed with a wry smile and shaking head as she began forward in a different direction from the Sister and girl. It was still quite dark, and she lit a flashlight to guide their path.

Subaru responded. "I wouldn't hold your breath. You forced her hand in pretty public fashion you know. She's so inflexible and stuck in her ways, I doubt she'll ever be able to handle you any other way than to pretend you don't exist."

"Is she really so inflexible?" Hisoka asked as the trio proceeded into the forested outskirts beyond the Hall.

The two Le Rim students looked at Hisoka with surprised expressions. Subaru went on to say, "I would think you of all people would feel that way. I thought you'd had the most run ins with her of anyone except Mayumi-chan. And she's an exceptional case."

"Gee, thanks dear heart." The Le Rim blonde responded with a snort.

"Well, you are exceptional, dear. In _every_ sense of the word," Subaru said as she attached herself to the blonde's arm. The way Subaru caressed the word 'every' seemed censorable to Hisoka, and this after three years living with Hiromi.

"Okay, you two. Third party present here. You've got a room for this stuff."

"I'll point out so do you. And sleeping in it right now is the most desirable girl in Strawberry Hall. Do you have any idea of the stories people circulate of the two of you?"

_Subaru never did know when to stop digging. Then again, the relationship between her and Mayumi-chan is painfully public, and a spectacle whether they like it or not…which they don't. I guess having someone else to tease, to occasionally redirect the spotlight, is therapeutic. In my case, however, it's all fantasy and no substance. _"Painfully so. And like you, I do my best to ignore it. And speaking of changing the subject, here we are."

Before the girls stood an old European-style stone and brick house, looking like something straight off the Normandy coast of France. The house was nestled in trees on three sides, but behind it opened up to a broad lawn which provided a wonderful view of the southern and eastern sky. It looked to date back as far as Miator itself.

Hisoka pulled out a key she maintained around her neck and opened the door to the house. She turned on a light, which illuminated the main room. The room was filled with tables and equipment of all sorts. The other rooms of the house were similarly filled. The person who lived here until her much lamented passing the previous year had been, among other things, a science and electronics nut. She had been the middle daughter of a very rich family, and her interest in science and technology in a day and age when girls weren't supposed to be interested in such things had resulted in the initial seed endowment for Spica Girls' Academy. The former occupant of this house had been in the initial class of Spica, and on graduation stayed on campus as groundskeeper as well as faculty and "patron saint" of her alma mater.

The "patron saint" had been a dear mentor of Hisoka's, and her legacy was strewn all over the house. Hisoka had taken responsibility for protecting the place until a decision was made regarding a new groundskeeper. This was another of many points of contention between Miator and Spica, that a Miator student had been granted by Spica responsibility for something like this. _Again, Miator can just stick it. I attend most of my "non domestic" classes at Spica. Spica can't exactly be expected to pass every little decision regarding me by Miator._

Hisoka sighed once again at the politics and focused instead on helping Subaru and Mayumi with the impressive telescope which was stored in the kitchen that led out to the south via a back door. Once the telescope was placed to Subaru's liking, Hisoka returned to the main room to activate the long wave HAM set and see what was happening in France and Germany, where it was still night and the signal traveled best. She adored the radio. This was her reason for studying German, and what made her feeble attempts at learning the required French somewhat worth it. Unfortunately for her tonight, the signals weren't carrying and she wasn't getting much. She closed things up after only about 20 minutes and returned to the other girls.

The time was getting on past 4am and false dawn was just beginning to light the eastern sky. Subaru was hard at work with her lab book, taking notes and making rough drawings. The telescope was perfectly capable of photography, but Subaru enjoyed going old fashioned and often took great pleasure from drawing things out like her heroes from before the 20th century.

Mayumi had retrieved her spare bow from its home in the house and was already practicing in the dim light, pushing herself as befitted a rising star in archery circles. She was already the best archer in any of the schools, and despite the limitations her ambiguous status imposed, she was finding ways to make a mark at the national level. Mayumi's intense competitive streak was very unusual for Le Rim, but Subaru worked hard to take the edges off it and prevent Mayumi from providing ammunition to her less considerate detractors. _She's no more or less competitive than those in Miator and Spica, but coming from her it's suddenly a sign of her 'regressing'. Her strength living under the microscope never ceases to amaze me. And Subaru's patience with it all is a true miracle. I really do live a privileged life to have friends like those two, and Hiromi-chan._

Hisoka decided it was time to ask her two friends about what was on her mind. There was nothing she could do about interrupting Subaru, but she waited patiently for Mayumi to let fly her current arrow before saying anything. Hisoka could barely even see the target, but she heard a satisfying "thunk" in the distance which signified the archer was at least close. "How'd you do?" Hisoka inquired.

"Not as good as I like, but that's why I keep practicing."

"What if the stakes are high and you only get one chance."

"You do the best you can."

"Even if the stakes are a soul?"

Mayumi looked up from her quiver and Subaru from her telescope. "Excuse me?" the two said in unison. The usual "jinx owe me a soda" that normally came from one of them when that happened, and it happened a lot, was noticeably absent.

"What I'm about to tell you needs to be kept just between us and Hiromi-chan. I know you two of all people understand discretion, and you'll understand why this requires it when I'm done." Hisoka proceeded to share everything from the previous night, all that she had experienced or learned.

"So that's all I know. We know her as the Shadow Pixie and now as Hamasaka-sama's grandniece. We know the reasons for each. Any others?"

"Well, she's known as the Snitch, of course, but I personally don't believe it. I think the Sisters are more perceptive than a lot of girls give them credit for, and it's just coincidental that the Shadow Pixie was in the area," Subaru said as she looked at Mayumi with a thoughtful expression.

_There's something else she's not saying._

"I'll add one more. She's my Death's Angel."

Subaru's expression became concerned. "Mayumi-chan, are you sure?"

"Subaru-chan, I owe her my life. We owe her everything we've built together. If there is an effort to help her, we owe it to Keiko-chan to be a part of it."

Subaru continued to look worried, but she nodded.

Mayumi turned again to Hisoka and said, "You know my history, Hisoka-chan. You were around at the time and you've helped me deal with a lot of issues since. That said, you don't know all the details of that night. Subaru-chan didn't just stumble across me. Keiko-chan saved my life when I cut off my penis."

* * *

><p>Thursday, July 1, 1993, mid-afternoon (POV: Nobutame Mayumi)<p>

First Year Le Rim student **Nobutame Mayumi** was on cloud nine. In the nearly three months since her arrival as a commuting student at Astraea Hill, her explorations had been limited pretty much to Le Rim and the library. Today, however, her new best friend and Le Rim classmate, Subaru-chan, was taking her on a tour of the legendary Strawberry Hall where she lived.

During her childhood, Mayumi remembered her mother, an alumna of Spica, telling stories of her time in Strawberry Hall and attending school on Astraea Hill. It had been Mayumi's deepest aspiration to follow in her mother's footsteps, and her grades and athletic successes would have usually boded well for her admission. There had been just one problem, a birth defect that haunted Mayumi and threatened everything she wanted in life. Despite her certainty she was a girl, a certainty which extended back to her earliest memories at 3 years of age, the world kept telling her she was a boy. It had taken years for Mayumi's parents to accept the truth, but even then things stayed complicated. When Mayumi announced to her family that she wanted to attend Spica like her mother, the response had been…lukewarm. She had kept persevering, and eventually her mother had relented and agreed to fight the fight. The Nobutame family had eventually realized Spica and Miator were hopeless brick walls, but the headmistress of Le Rim had at least expressed curious open-mindedness. After several months of efforts, consultations with psychologists, and legal agreements, Mayumi had been granted "provisional" admittance to Le Rim. "Provisional" meaning her presence could not present any disruption to the "harmony of Astraea Hill". No scandal would be tolerated. Essentially this meant if the knowledge got out, she was out.

There was another restriction. She was forbidden to enter the walls of Strawberry Hall. The Sisters had fought Le Rim's decision, but when Le Rim didn't back down, they made it clear the space THEY controlled, the hallowed confines of Strawberry Hall, would not be desecrated.

As Mayumi walked through the gates with Subaru, she knew she shouldn't be here, and she risked everything if she was caught, but her 12 year old mind decided it was worth the risk.

"Strawberry Hall has three sides, and each side contains the boarding students of one of the schools. We're going in the Le Rim side entrance, but I'll show you around the whole place."

And Subaru proceeded to do just that. From attic to basement, dining room to study hall, Mayumi saw it all. She had gotten nervous a few times when Subaru had shown her past the Sister's Office, and shown her the door of the live-in Sister, Sister Hamasaka, but she managed the tour unnoticed by anyone who saw her presence as something extraordinary.

"So, that's pretty much the whole place. Do you have any questions?"

"Not really. My mom went here and told me a lot about it. The stories didn't really live up to the reality, though."

"I wish you could stay here in the Hall, Mayumi-chan. I don't have a roommate and I really can't imagine someone better than you to share my time on Astraea Hill."

_If you only knew what you were saying_. "I wish I could, but it's just not possible right now." Downcast eyes. The magic had to end eventually. "I should probably be heading back to Le Rim now."

"Awww, are you sure you wouldn't like to join me in my room for some tea?" Subaru-chan said with a big smile.

"Umm, okay, as long as we don't take too long."

Mayumi followed Subaru through several hallways which eventually led to a row of doors. Subaru opened one, walked in, and beckoned Mayumi who followed her friend into the room.

The room was amazingly spacious, at least to Mayumi's mind. There were two beds, although one did have the look of disuse. The desk and bookshelf on one side of the room was empty. Mayumi wished more than anything that she could fill that space.

"If you could help me pull the table into the center like so," Subaru motioned at the table in front of the window and swept back to the space between the beds. Mayumi took one end of the table and Subaru the other, and they proceeded to glide it into place. Mayumi then sat herself down at the table as her best friend prepared the tea and place settings. It was clear Subaru was relishing intensely the opportunity to play hostess in her room.

"This is the first time I've had a guest in here, other than my Mom, since I came here in April. Thank you so much for coming, Mayumi. I'm so happy we've become friends."

Once Subaru finished with the preparations and the two girls began on their tea, they found themselves in the kind of girl conversation that transcends time. Subaru seemed to want to know everything about Mayumi, and Mayumi managed to oblige while dancing skillfully around the elephant. She talked about her Mom and all the stories about Astraea Hill she had heard. She talked about her love of archery and how she hoped to complete in the Olympics someday. She talked about how wonderful it was to attend Le Rim and how excited she was to be part of life on the Hill. And Mayumi didn't do all the talking. Subaru shared her own challenges being brought up by a single mother after her father died young serving in the Japanese Defense Forces. She spoke of her love of mysteries, and of the sky and where the universe came from. And she shared her "big secret", her guilty pleasure- Manga! The girls laughed at the scandal, but that didn't stop them from looking through some of Subaru's latest.

Time seemed to stand still. Eventually, though, Mayumi found herself glancing at Subaru's clock and was brought up short. 5:47pm. Dangerously close to curfew and when the Sisters would start paying attention to the gate to catch late arrivals.

"Subaru, isn't Hall curfew 6pm."

"Yeah, but I wouldn't worry too much about it unless you have to get home at a certain time."

"I really need to get going. I would dearly like to stay and help clean up, but I don't dare get caught here."

"It's not a big deal, Mayumi. The Sisters will open the gate to let student friends out, the 6pm curfew is just to ensure all the Strawberry Hall boarders are back by no later than 6pm."

"Please don't ask me to explain it, but I can't be seen here by the Sisters. It would be really bad."

Subaru gave her friend a puzzled look, but nodded. "Okay, you're my friend and, while I don't understand, I don't have to. I'm pretty sure I can slip you out of the Hall without any trouble, but unless you want to climb the walls, there's only one gate. I'll go with you and play interference if the need arises."

"Thank you so much, Subaru-chan."

The two girls slipped out the room and moved briskly through the halls to the outside door. They bolted from the door and were making good progress toward the gate when a voice called out, "Nobutame Mayumi, stop right there!"

Mayumi stopped cold and her stomach dropped. _Sister Hamasaka. Oh Dear God, I'm dead._

"Mayumi-chan, you run for it. I'll deal with her," Mayumi's winded friend said.

Although the option sounded appealing, Mayumi knew better. She'd been caught. She could run, but she couldn't hide from it. "No Subaru-chan, it wouldn't help. She's got me." Mayumi smiled wanly at her friend. "You've given me the happiest day of my life, Subaru-chan. Whatever happens, don't forget you're my best friend and I'll hold you in my heart forever."

Subaru reached out her hand and grabbed Mayumi's with her own smile. "Back at you, best friend. I'm not leaving your side."

The two turned to face Sister Hamasaka, who's stride had brought her to stand in front of them. She first spoke to Subaru, "Nakahara-san, this is none of your affair. Please return to your room while I deal with a matter that concerns only Nobutame-san."

Subaru's grip on Mayumi's hand tightened. "No disrespect, Sister Hamasaka-sama, but I choose to stay by my friend's side in her time of need. I may not know what this is all about, but I stand by my friend regardless. Isn't sisterhood something we are taught here on Astraea Hill?"

"That is a truly ironic choice of words, Nakahara-san. Isn't that right, Nobutame-san?" Sister Hamasaka allowed a pause to extend long enough for Mayumi to respond. When she did not, the Sister continued. "Nobutame-san, you will follow me to my office where we will discuss your status on Astraea Hill in light of your choice to disregard an agreement you and your parents both signed. If you do not wish Nakahara-san to be party to such a discussion, I would suggest you bid her good night between now and when my office door closes."

Mayumi started to follow Sister Hamasaka and felt Subaru continue beside her, the grip on her hand not releasing a bit. _What do I do? I want Subaru-chan with me, but if she hears what Sister Hamasaka is certain to say, I'll lose her. There's no way she'll stay with me, some kind of misshapen she-male._

"Subaru-chan," Mayumi began.

"Shhh, whatever it is, it doesn't matter. I'm sure this has something to do with why you aren't in Strawberry Hall where you belong. It's clear you want to be here, but something is forcing you away. I don't care what it is, by the end of this I'm going to have you as my roommate and the Sisters can stuff it if they don't like it."

Mayumi saw fierce determination in Subaru's eyes. _She's serious. She said that for Sister Hamasaka to hear. I just can't believe she'll stick with me when she knows the truth._

Mayumi knew they were approaching the office door. "Subaru, I am honored by your support. Really, I'm touched to the core of my being. I want to be your roommate here in the Hall more than anything I can think of, but I'm not sure you want to promise anything like this. Really, I think you might be happiest if you just go back to your room and forget about me."

"Baka! For a girl you really don't understand girls very well."

_Ouch. This isn't going to end well._

They were now entering the Sister's office. Sister Hamasaka looked at the pair again. "Last chance."

"I'm not going anywhere."

The door closed and Sister Hamasaka proceeded to sit behind her desk. "Nobutame Mayumi, when you were accepted into Le Rim under exceptional circumstances, both you and your mother agreed to certain stipulations for your presence on Astraea Hill. You would not cause scandal and you would not enter the walls of Strawberry Hall. In this moment, you are breaking both these stipulations. What to you have to say in your defense?"

_What do I have to say? It seemed like a good idea at the time?_ "Sister Hamasaka, I have nothing to say in my defense for coming to Strawberry Hall. I knew my restrictions and I chose to disregard them. You are aware being here means more to me than life itself, and when Subaru-chan offered me to come with her for a brief visit, I reasoned no harm could come of it. Obviously I was wrong. As far as scandal, I respectfully submit that scandal would have been avoided had you simply let me leave the Hall grounds and spoken with me later."

Sister Hamasaka's eyebrow rose at the last. "I will give you that last, and will note it was well said. Still, your presence here is clearly in violation of your signed written agreement. Will you please remind all present what penalty you yourself agreed to if you broke your agreement?"

"Expulsion from Astraea Hill." Miyumi sensed where things were going and tears began falling down her cheeks. _I'm not going to lose my cool. I won't give her the pleasure._

"Thank you, Nobutame-san. Hopefully this will go smoothly. Do you wish to call your mother, or shall I?" Sister Hamasaka motioned to the phone.

"Mayumi, are you just going to let this happen? What is this ridiculous agreement? What could possibly keep you under all these restrictions?"

Sister Hamasaka looked at Mayumi with an expression that clearly indicated she would say it if Mayumi didn't. Still, Mayumi couldn't bring herself to say the words. The silence dragged on.

"Nobutame-san is a boy, Nakahara-san. The Sisters and the Headmistresses of Miator and Spica tolerated this because of the stubbornness of the Le Rim Headmistress and because Nobutame-san's mother is a Spica alumna. Le Rim was allowed their folly, but Miator, Spica, and Strawberry Hall insisted that the defilement not extend beyond Le Rim's permissive walls. Nobutame-san agreed to these restrictions, and then disregarded them. He must live with the consequences of his actions."

Subaru-chan's hand went limp, and Mayumi disengaged from it. Subaru looked into Mayumi's tearful eyes with an indecipherable expression.

Sister Hamasaka went on. "You are a boy, Nobutame-san. You will always be a boy, or eventually a man. There is nothing wrong with that, Nobutame-san. But there is no room on Astraea Hill for someone like you."

With those words, something broke inside Mayumi's mind. "Like me, you say? Someone like me? Someone with a penis? Is that the issue? We can solve that!"

Mayumi stopped thinking and fled the room. She heard Subaru's voice calling her back, but she ignored it. _Let's end this you damned cancerous growth. Once and for all!_

Although it was a classic male trait which she hated, Mayumi had a mind for spatial images, and the tour Subaru had provided was a map in Mayumi's mind. She ran into the kitchen and went for the most likely place for sharp, meat cutting knives. She found an excellent example of such, wrapped it in a hand towel, and then started off at a dash for the one room they were least likely to check, the one room where finding her later would have the most effect. Sister Hamasaka's room.

*****PGBR*** (Note: Please read author comments before you finish reading the story)**

Mayumi became aware of herself again, but she felt like she was floating. Her mouth was dry and her tongue felt two sizes too big. The incredible pain she remembered had receded to a throbbing ache. She opened her eyes, and things in the distance looked blurry. She could only focus up close, perhaps a meter away. She felt a presence next to her and turned her head slightly to look, about all the movement she was capable of now. She saw a young girl, a child, dressed in a Miator uniform seated on the edge of the bed next to her. The visage looked down on her with an impassive expression. _Death wears Miator black? Who knew?_

"Are you Death?" Mayumi asked the child.

The child's eyes widened a bit, then receded and a slight smile curled the side of her mouth. "No, although I think perhaps I am her best friend."

"An angel, then." Mayumi persisted. She always liked to have things categorized.

"Death's Angel? That's as good a name for me as any, I suppose." The child's smile widened a bit, but looked very sad. "You seem very close to needing the services of Death. You have done a fine job of bleeding all over my bed."

_Her bed?_

"Anyway, I'm curious to know what you really want. You seem to have had some major issues with this, and have addressed it with some remarkable finality." The Angel held something in her bloody right hand, caught between her index and middle fingers. It took Mayumi a few moments to process that there was an immature male member hanging tip down from between those fingers, held up by a piece of scrotum.

"It's gone," Mayumi sighed. The sense of victory over her condition wasn't what she expected. It was more profound relief than the elation she had always fantasized. _Probably the blood loss._

"Well and truly." The Angel examined the former member a bit. "I must admit this wasn't what I had in mind when I visualized my first time holding one of these, but events in my life rarely turn out the way I expect them to." She turned her attention back to Mayumi. "I must ask you this again as I believe your time is running short. Your life's blood is still flowing onto the sheets and you're clearly pretty deep in shock. What do you want? Life or death? As you say, I'm only an Angel. I won't interfere with your choice."

_What do I want? If it was just me, I'd want death. I'm tired of fighting. But mother has been so supportive, and she would be devastated. And Subaru. Subaru didn't run, and she called to me when I fled. Maybe there's still hope._

"I want to live, Angel. Is that still possible?"

"That's really up to you. If Death truly does come for you, fight her. I'm an ill omen of hers, and not liable to be of much help. If you can hold on alone for a moment, I'll go fetch someone I think will join you in the struggle to live."

The Angel arose and left Mayumi's field of vision for a few seconds. The sound of running water was briefly audible. She then came close again one last time and whispered, "Don't lose sight of what you have to live for, Nobutame-sama," in Mayumi's ear followed by a kiss on the cheek.

The visage left and Mayumi felt her consciousness fading in and out. The last words of the Angel she thought she heard were, "Oh, and don't forget to tell them to check the fridge. I think perhaps it might still be useful for something."

*****PGBR*** (Note: Please read author comments before you finish reading the story)**

When next Mayumi awoke, she was in a hospital room with bags of fluid and equipment all around her. She was surrounded by a pile of warm blankets and both her hands were held tightly. She tried to turn her head and heard her Mom on one side telling her to take it slow. Given how dizzy she was despite laying down, she took the advice. Two people entered her field of view, both female, one on each side. On her right was her mother, her supporter from day one and the one person in her life who had always been on her side. On her left was Subaru-chan. "Subaru-chan?" Mayumi said, although it came out more a croak.

"Shhh, take your mom's advice. You're a lucky girl to have someone like her."

_Girl. She said girl._ "You said girl."

"Baka! And why not? You were a girl even before you went and tried to kill yourself by proving it. Now let me be clear. Don't you EVER do that again, do you hear me!" Subaru couldn't hold the tears back and started crying, holding Mayumi's hand against her cheek.

"She hasn't left your side since she found you in Sister Hamasaka's room," Mayumi heard her mom saying and turned to look at her. "When the ambulance arrived at Astraea Hill for you, she demanded to ride in it. She claimed to be your sister and said I would never want you separated." Mayumi's okaasan smiled at Mayumi and then looked over at Subaru before saying, "I think she was prophetic."

Mayumi looked back over at Subaru. "Please don't cry, Subaru-chan. I promise I won't do it again. I don't ever want to make you cry again."

The next two months were a blur for Mayumi. Two real surgeries and a passionately insistent mother later, she was all girl anatomically. While she had at least one more surgery ahead of her someday, she had reason to hope her new equipment might actually work when female puberty was said and done, despite her reportedly 'poor autosurgical technique'. She apparently had Death's Angel in part to thank for that, having placed Mayumi's severed member in the refrigerator and an ice pack on her groin. Mayumi had been muttering about the fridge when Subaru had arrived to see her nearly dead on the bed. Because the member had been well preserved, and because she was exceptionally healthy otherwise, the grafts had taken and everything looked to be healing well. Only time would tell if the wrecked nerves would ever work again, a very high potential price to pay for her rashness but at least she was alive.

Subaru and Mayumi's mom hadn't been idle in the meantime either. The spectacular events in Sister Hamasaka's bedroom hadn't exactly been easy to cover up, and the Astraea Hill gossip mill went into full gear. The circumstances behind Nobutame Mayumi had become known and the quiet debate had expanded to a campus-wide one…and it wasn't always pleasant. Almost in unison, Le Rim followed Subaru's lead and unified behind their classmate. The first year class in particular threatened to walk out as a unit if Mayumi was not allowed back to join them after she recovered enough to attend classes again. The normally apolitical Le Rim showed itself to be a tiger when aroused. The other two schools didn't know Mayumi, but the courage she had showed in demonstrating the depth of her desire to attend classes on Astraea Hill had an impact on many. The turning point was when the Spica E'toile couple went with Mayumi's Spica alumna mother to visit Mayumi at home during her recovery and came back expressing unreserved support for Mayumi's full integration in Astraea Hill life. From that point on, it was a foregone conclusion that Mayumi would be back at Le Rim at the very least. Strawberry Hall was another matter entirely, but Subaru was outspoken- Mayumi was her roommate and the Sisters would just have to deal with that fact. The Sisters weren't exactly happy with the situation, but they acknowledged Mayumi had sacrificed much to attend Astraea, and that her resulting ambiguity could allow all sides to find some level of common ground which would accommodate this one girl.

* * *

><p>Tuesday, May 14, 1996, well after sunrise (POV: Uchida Hisoka)<p>

"So that's my experience with Keiko-chan, my Death's Angel," Mayumi finished. "I've since tried to approach her and thank her, but she shies away from me when I do so. On the rare occasion that I corner her, she insists it wasn't her and that I need to look elsewhere for someone worthy of praise or thanks. I'm certain it was her, though. Someone was there- I certainly didn't walk the damned thing to the refrigerator myself at that point. Not only do we all know that was Keiko's bed, Subaru is certain she saw a glimpse of Keiko turning a corner when she was hit with the rock with the note."

"Rock with the note?" **Hisoka** asked.

"That's how I knew where to find Mayumi after she fled the office," Subaru responded. "Sister Hamasaka and I separated and went looking for her and were having no luck. I was thinking of checking outside the walls of Strawberry Hall when I was hit in the shoulder by a rock. I turned for the source and saw the edge of an unusually small Miator uniform slipping back around a corner. I picked up the rock and it was wrapped in a note. The note said simply, 'What you have lost can be found in Sister Hamasaka's room, but only if you hurry'. That's where I found Mayumi-chan bleeding on the bed." Subaru leaned over and hugged her friend hard. "Baka! Don't you dare ever do that again!"

"Hey, I promised that in the hospital and just about every day since. Because of Keiko, I don't need to do something like that again. I have everything I could ever want right here." She hugged Subaru back.

The sun had long since risen and Hisoka admired the morning while giving the two lovers a chance to get their affection out of their system…again…before pointing out the day was moving on and they had to put things away and get to breakfast or they'd be late. While the three girls got to work, Hisaka asked the obvious. "So, we have a core group and a mission to achieve. Your story just makes Keiko that much more freaky and dark, I must admit. How do the four of us go about saving Keiko-chan from whatever it is that haunts her?"

"What does Hiromi-chan have to say on the subject?" Mayumi put in.

"We haven't had a chance to really discuss it. She was exploring greener pastures last night when I had my encounter with Aunt Hamasaka."

"I think I see where Mayumi-chan is going with this," Subaru added. "I think Hiromi's input would be invaluable. Before we go any further, I do believe we need to compare notes."

"Sounds like as good a plan as any."

The group left the topic of Keiko at that point as they struggled to wrap things up at the house and make it back to the dining room for morning prayers and breakfast.

* * *

><p><strong>***Dedication***<strong>

I dedicate this chapter to my wife of 21 years, Yvonne, the most loving and beautiful person to ever walk this Earth. You are Tomari to my Hazumu, Subaru to my Tsukasa, Nadie to my Ellis. Sept 14, 1990 remains the most magical day in history, the day you stood before an assembled church and said yes to a lost and hurting little girl no one at the time could see. Your love later gave that girl the courage to stand on her own and brought the world to look with new eyes, and for that I will be forever grateful. You are the reason for my Thanksgiving, beloved.

I further dedicate this chapter to my daughter, the inspiration for Mayumi's Angel. You fully participated as your Dad became your Mom, a 10 year old girl helping tend to the bloody mess your insane parent made of herself. You trooped through it with courage and grace, assisting with wound care and providing a shoulder to cry on in a fashion far beyond your years...and finding the desire through it all to now want to be a veterinary surgeon. Sharing the journey to womanhood with you, including the bizarre experience of discovering pads at almost the exact same time not to mention sharing clothes since we're almost the same size now, will be something I always treasure...even as Mama Yvonne rolls her eyes at us as we travel puberty together. My Thanks will be with you forever, my daughter-sister.

* * *

><p><strong>***Author's Notes***<strong>

If anyone has any issues with Mayumi-chan or how I handled her, I will respond simply that the broad elements of her back story are loosely based on autobiographical experience. To anyone who is trans out there, please **do** **not **try what Mayumi-chan 'succeeded' at in this story. The DIY route does **not **yield happy endings (figuratively, or literally in the case of nerves). If you value your life, your health, and your functioning in your identified gender, go the medical route. There are fantastic options now that didn't exist in decades past. I'd suggest TransActive (Google 'Transactiveonline'- FFN won't let me include the link) to start. I'm also available by PM if you want to talk. In the words of the Trevor Project, it really does get better. :-) ~Dr Gwen

As usual, my names mean something. Our young astronomer, Subaru (昴), is a name probably familiar to many. It comes from the Japanese for the constellation The Pleiades. Our archer and trans survivor, Mayumi (麻弓), means True Bow.

* * *

><p><strong>***Reviewer Response***<strong>

I want to point out that I wrote this chapter about two weeks ago, so Oosaki Keiko's actions/reactions here had nothing to do with recent feedback. :-)

I appreciate any and all feedback, _especially_ for this chapter.

_**Added after initial review was posted:**_ The part about placing the severed member in the fridge in the real world would likely make little difference for Mayumi's outcome given the timeframe in which Mayumi got medical help. It is possible, in fact, that doing something like that would increase the chance for infection which is a really bad thing when you're trying to graft skin and nerves. I added it because it made Keiko that much creepier in her coolness surrounding the situation. As I emphasize above, this is NOT a guide to self-mutilation. If you are living trans, do what I did and go the medical route. Please!

And yes, Rin-chan, Mayumi would almost certainly not be allowed to attend an all-girl's school in even most first-world countries. The Catholic Church doesn't recognise sex reassignment under any circumstance for trans, something acutely painful to me since Yvonne and I are Catholic, so likely Mayumi would have been out of luck in the real-word even despite her actions.


	5. The Poet

**Echoes of the Past**  
><strong>The Roomkeeper: Part V<strong>

**The Poet**

* * *

><p>Thursday, May 16, 1996, mid-morning (POV: Uchida Hisoka)<p>

_If I didn't know better, I'd say the Universe is conspiring against us dealing with Keiko-chan._

**Uchida Hisoka** was looking out the second floor window of her fourth year homeroom at Spica Girl's Academy, marveling at how time was flying. Hisoka was used to the view, of course, having attended her core morning classes at Spica since her second year, but it reminded her of just how busy her schedule had to be in order to meet Miator progress requirements while attending so many classes at the sister school. _Math, science, technology, literature, Japanese language, history, English, and German at Spica, and then rush for an afternoon of performing, creative, and domestic arts at Miator. If it wasn't for Hiromi's tutoring in French which I miss entirely but which Miator still requires I pass, a lot of support from other Miator students in the triple-damned arts stuff, and formal Saturday afternoon tutoring in cello and fine arts paid for by father, I'd never be able to do it._

Still, it was worth it. Miator's curriculum had bored her to tears in her first year, with the emphasis it placed on literature, arts, and "sophistication". Hisoka loved things that were quantifiable and could be measured, things that were real. So did her father. Despite his practical insistence that Hisoka must attend Miator for the unparalleled prestige it would bring her as a potential bride, he was not unsympathetic given his own life as an engineer and adopted heir to one of Japan's largest semiconductor firms. He wanted Hisoka to be happy, and the compromise had been the endowment to Spica's science and technology program. Overnight Spica rose to become a premier girl's technology center, and in return Hisoka got to attend classes there dressed in her Miator black. _A literal black sheep in a flock of white_, she noted as she looked around her at the space-age Spica uniforms.

In the two days since the "Night of Keiko", she hadn't seen the girl, although not for lack of occasional trying. She hadn't seen the Le Rim duet, either. In fact, she had barely seen Hiromi, and when she had the emphasis was on French and the test coming Friday. _If I can get through that, then comes the term final before Summer School. Could someone remind me again why there's a French language?_

With that thought, Hisoka was drawn back to reality by her Spica friend, Kasumi-chan, tugging at her shoulder and beckoning for her to sit down for the start of English.

*****PGBR*****

Thursday, May 16, 1996, evening

"There should a law against taking three distinct foreign languages at the same time," Hisoka expressed in exasperation to her roommate as they reviewed tense in French yet again.

"Stop complaining, it's unbecoming given you asked for it. Anyway, you're the smartest person I know, and probably will ever know. Anyone else would have spontaneously combusted by now, but you're really doing pretty well, all things considered."

"English, French, and German are so different, and they're all floating around in my head along with kanji and C+."

"Quick change of subject before I get you some cheese for that whine. Once you told me the Le Rim twins knew about Keiko-chan, I took the liberty of arranging a tea party with them for Friday night after curfew. They're going to host this time since they're a little shy about getting caught out again. You know how the Sisters ride Mayumi, and we seem to be the ones with a 'Get Out of Hell Free' card."

"Makes sense. I feel guilty for not making any headway regarding the kohai."

"She's lasted over three years without us, she can last a few more days. If we've established anything, it's that she's a survivor. Anyway, I think we've established she's avoiding us. Now, back to French or none of it is relevant!"

*****PGBR*****

Friday, May 17, 1996, before Midnight

"So, now what?" Subaru summarized in her own fashion.

The girls had spent the last hour downloading their various experiences over the past week. Hiromi shared the knowledge gathered from President Saito about Strawberry Hall's 'pet snitch', providing enough details of the seduction to (barely) appease Subaru and hopelessly embarrass Mayumi and Hisoka, without divulging enough to be considered terribly indiscrete. Hisoka shared her interaction with Sister Hamasaka, including the revelation of the familial connection between her and the Shadow Pixie. Finally, Mayumi and Subaru shared again, this time for Hiromi's benefit, their encounter with Death's Angel.

Mayumi responded first, "I think we need to involve her in some activity we all do. Something where we have privacy, but where there is a purpose to our doing it other than just talking. If we were to bring her in for tea, for example, it'd be threatening. She'd feel placed on the spot. Something active, say a hike or something, would avoid that."

"How about spring cleaning grandmother's cottage?" Hisoka suggested. "We've been talking about how we have to start preparing the place for the eventual new occupant. It also hasn't been spruced up since last summer when…she passed away."

Thinking of the woman all four girls affectionately called obaasan, grandmother, prior to her passing, despite there being no familial relation for any of them, brought all the girls to silence for a moment. Hiromi, who knew her least, broke the reverie. "I think that actually would work great. It would give us all different things to do, and reason for each of us to maybe spend a little time with her and get a sense of what we might think would work going forward. Hisoka-chans's also right, that old house really does need some love, and many hands make for lighter work. Poor Keiko-chan will think we're the Evil Senpai from Hell before we're done with her."

"Will old Hamasaka allow it?" Mayumi thought to ask.

"She's not thrilled at all about my involvement with that house," Hisoka responded, "but she herself said she was depending on my 'unconventionality'. If this is my way, I think she'll go with it. She honestly can't have expected any different, and if she did she's a fool."

Mayumi looked ready to say something, but Subaru elbowed her in the ribs. "If you don't have anything nice to say, dear **girl**friend, don't say anything at all." Subaru placed an emphasis on the word 'girl'.

Mayumi's expression and rubbing of the left side of her chest with her right hand indicated the elbow had been pretty sharp. The two Miator students only then realized the extent to which Mayumi had to cup her hands to perform the motion.

"Not bad." Hiromi noted with an exaggerated leer at Mayumi's recently blossomed chest.

"Hey, those are mine!" Subaru exclaimed and comedically tried to shield Mayumi's chest from view. "You have the whole campus to choose from, lay off Sister!" The words were sharp, but the smile and twinkling eyes made clear it was in good fun. Mayumi wisely chose to stay silent.

"For now, but if she wins the archery nationals next year…" Hiromi said with a wink.

Subaru's smile and eyes changed just slightly, her grip on Mayumi tightened just a bit, and Hisoka got the sense Subaru wasn't finding things quite so funny now. Aoi Hiromi's penchant for 'congratulating' champions was well known. It was also well known, or at least Hisoka hoped it was well recognised, that Hiromi had never…not once…preyed on an existing couple in her whole time on Astraea Hill. "Hiromi-chan, I think you're enjoying yourself a little too much."

Hiromi's eyes focused on Subaru's, widened a little bit, and then looked down. "I'm sorry, Subaru-chan. I thought you'd recognise I'm not a couple breaker. I'll never be 'the other woman', and I certainly would never come between two as fated as you and Mayumi-chan."

Subaru relaxed, but remained firmly attached to her girlfriend, who took the opportunity to attach herself in kind. "I know that. Still, you're like a force of nature when you get going. It can be scary for the girls around you sometimes."

Realizing there wasn't really anything Hiromi could say to that, at least nothing helpful, Hisoka interjected, "Speaking of scary, I think we have a pretty good Plan A with Keiko-chan. We have classes Saturday morning, and my Saturday afternoon are full of cello tutoring, but I don't have specific plans for Sunday. How does that look?"

*****PGBR*****

Sunday, May 19, 1996, early morning

Once again, Hisoka marveled at her new penchant for early mornings. She was in the kitchen of Strawberry Hall collecting the final touches on what would eventually be lunch for five. During the weekends, breakfasts and lunches were prepared by Hall students in a rotation between the three schools. She had spoken the previous evening with the Spica students who had drawn the short straw for this weekend, and they had been more than happy to allow Hisoka to collect her own supplies and take five mouths elsewhere…less for the Spica girls to do. Cooked rice, eggs, and other perishables now filled her basket. When combined with the non-perishable foodstuffs still existent in the kitchen of the Groundskeepers cottage, Hisoka expected to prepare quite a feast.

Her detestation of domestic education aside, the one domestic chore Hisoka adored was cooking. She suspected it likely had to do with her love of chemistry and algorithms. A recipe was very much like a computer program, you follow a recipe and voila', delicious! She'd had girls point out the same could be said for sewing a dress from a pattern, but Hisoka remained skeptical of anything having to do with thread and fabric.

_You can't eat it_, Hisoka thought with derision.

Once Hisoka had verified everything needed was in the basket, she set off for the main entrance to the Miator wing of Strawberry Hall to await Hiromi and Keiko. The plan was to meet those two before heading out from the Hall, and then meet up with the Le Rim duet at the gate to the Hall grounds. She arrived at the main door and initially thought she was the first to arrive, but just as she was considering going outside to enjoy the morning sunshine she felt the weight of eyes behind her. Keiko was peering around the corner of the based of the staircase that descended from the sleeping room level of the Hall.

"Good morning, Keiko-chan. I'm really excited that you're joining us today. Have you ever been to the Groundskeeper's Cottage before?"

The girl slowly came from behind the staircase and approached Hisoka where the older girl could get a good look at the younger one. Despite their best efforts, Hisoka and Hiromi had been unable to pin Keiko down yesterday long enough to properly invite her to this morning's activities. Eventually, in desperation, Hisoka had approached Sister Hamasaka and engaged her help in coordinating Keiko's presence for the day. It was clear Sister Hamasaka wanted to protest, but despite Mayumi's doubts, "old" Hamasaka was not a fool and saw this was a logical extension of Hisoka's mandate. It appeared Hamasaka was perceptive and had dressed Keiko well for the occasion.

For the first time in her memory, Hisoka saw Keiko wearing pants. She had no idea where Sister Hamasaka had come across jeans that fit, but she had. Keiko's outfit was completed by a flannel top and tennis shoes. She very much looked ready to seize a day full of intense grounds work, cleaning, and organizing.

"My, my you look marvelous this morning, Keiko-chan." Hiromi had made it down the stairs before Hisoka had noticed her. The redhead was also in jeans, but where Keiko and Hisoka's jeans were straight legged and not exactly form fitting, Hiromi's looked like they were just about painted on, following each curve. Her top was similarly fashionable and low in the front, although not at all inappropriate to the expectation of work...at least with no boys around. Her long red hair was braided back into a pony tail. "I hope you don't mind hard work because Hisoka here is a slave driver." Hiromi had come up to Keiko and positioned herself next to Keiko and facing Hisoka.

Hisoka held up the basket. "At least I feed my minions well," she said with an arched eyebrow before turning and making her way out of the door.

The three girls walked together to the gate, where again the Le Rim duet had already arrived.

"Good morning, Miator," Subaru began cheerfully. "See, Hisoka-chan, we'll make a morning person of you yet!"

"I'll go on record pointing out that 6am isn't quite as bad a 3am. And in any case, I will also point out you are outnumbered three to one, my dear morning friend."

"Am I now?" responded Subaru. "You're glossing over a new vote. Keiko-chan, where do you stand on the eternal debate, morning or night?"

All eyes rested on Keiko, who seemed startled to be the center of attention. Despite not having planned it, the older girls seemed willing to wait until Keiko gave an answer.

"I haven't really had a chance to develop a preference, senpai. The Sisters have encouraged me to appeal to mornings with daily sunrise services, and mornings are very peaceful, but I enjoy the vibrancy of the night. It is a shame we have to sleep."

"So, an eloquent abstention. Still no help to you, Subaru-chan," poked Hisoka.

Subaru just stuck her tongue out at her friend through a good-natured smile, grabbed Mayumi's hand, and started briskly down the path they would be travelled leaving the Miator trio to follow in their wake.

The morning really was spectacular if still cool, and the weather had been fine for the entire week. It boded well for their efforts on the outside of the old house.

The next few hours were kept busy performing work on the outside. Raking a winter's worth of leaves, collecting felled branches, trimming brush that resided close to the house, and manicuring the approach path. Keiko dug into the work with surprising enthusiasm, although Hisoka divined some of the enthusiasm came from the fact her industriousness made it difficult to engage her in conversation. There were many opportunities for Keiko to chime into the banter between the friends, but not a peep from the kohai was heard.

Eventually the girls had worked their way to the back of the house and found themselves looking out on the grassy field that provided Mayumi her practice range and Subaru her clear view of the night sky.

"The field hasn't been mowed since last summer," observed Hisoka. "We really need to run the riding mower over it." Riding mowers weren't terribly common in Japan, but there was more than enough lawn on Astraea Hill to justify one. It hadn't seen much use in the past year, and the various fields on campus were showing the signs of the inattention.

"I'll go get it," Mayumi piped up. The grin on her face indicated that, if she'd had a tail, it would be wagging.

"Oh no you won't," Subaru immediately put in. A look of intense disapproval on her face.

Mayumi looked over to her roommate. "Just this once can't hurt."

"Regressing much? Mayumi, remember what happened the last time you reasoned 'just this once'."

The wilting look on her friend Mayumi, the frustrated anguish she was feeling, made Hisoka want to scream. Other girls could like cars, like to drive things. For Mayumi, though, it was equivalent to the Mark of Cain. Evidence of her ambivalence, emphasis of the asterisk that would forever reside for her in peoples' minds.

"I'll go get it." Hisoka responded, trying to keep her anger at the unfairness of it all out of her voice.

"No, I'll go get it and then Mayumi can use it when I get back here," Hiromi interjected. "It's always fun to keep people guessing, and I'm sure the astonishment over seeing me riding the thing through campus will keep people busy for days. They'd expect Hisoka or Mayumi to enjoy riding it, but me?" She grinned and looked at her own roomie.

"Somehow I think I've just been insulted, but I can't quite figure out the details. Be my guest, my dear. You're right that it's a great way to be center of attention. Are you planning to Lady Godiva on it?"

Hiromi's face initially looked shocked, then took on an evil, thoughtful grin. She winked at her roomie before turning to walk in the direction of the equipment barn.

"The scary thing is, I'm worried she might just do it," Subaru mused as they watched the redhead recede down the path.

"She will do what she will. I learned that a long time ago. As you said before, she's a Force of Nature and you just have to bend with her."

"And when will you bend with her, dear Hisoka-chan?" Subaru's imp was back.

_How is it that Subaru can make anything I say about Hiromi into something obscene?_

"Speaking of changing the subject," Hisoka went on, "I think it's time to start sorting through the inside. With the nice weather, we can bring things out, clean, and then sort as we put things back in."

"Sounds as good a plan as any, dear. Lead on," Subaru encouraged.

The crew began on the kitchen, moving Subaru's precious telescope and all the other sundry items which we kept ready to be moved out onto the lawn. The four girls were diligently sorting and cleaning items in the sunshine when the sound of the mower became audible. Soon Hiromi came around the house and Hisoka was relieved to note she was still wearing the same thing she had left with. _Subaru wasn't the only one not sure what lines Hiromi might cross to have an effect. That said, perhaps she didn't want to draw a crowd and detract from our efforts with Keiko-chan. Hiromi is a lot more perceptive than most give her credit for._

Hiromi placed the mower in idle and hopped off in favor of the Le Rim blonde. "I think I had the desired effect and you don't have anything to worry about now, dear." She gave Mayumi a hug, but kept it very sisterly given the glare she was getting from Subaru as she performed the action.

Hisoka had never been one for loud noise, so she chose this moment to pull Keiko into the house with her and show the kohai around. _I'll be interested to see what she responds to. There's so much in this old house, maybe I'll get a sense of her interests._

Hisoka noted Hiromi following her Miator peers into the house. She suspected Subaru wouldn't be leaving the vicinity of her own roommate, which would place the Le Rim pair outside for a while yet.

"Well, I suppose the first order of business is to start making lunch," Hisoka declared once the door was closed behind Hiromi. "Keiko-chan, how much experience do you have with making fried rice?"

Again, the pause while Hisoka and Mayumi waited patiently for Keiko to answer, giving her no opportunity to avoid a response. "I've been trained by the Sisters in following a recipe."

Short answer that didn't really answer the question. "Fair enough. Are you willing to work with me in preparing our lunch?"

"I'll do my best."

"That's all anyone can ask."

And the three Miator girls proceeded to prepare lunch with pork, rice, vegetables, and various supplies still stocked in the house. Keiko seemed to gravitate to the cutting activities, going at the pork and vegetables with a fair amount of gusto. A look at Mayumi suggested they were both thinking of Mayumi's story. Still nothing amiss happened and the planned result came about. A look outside suggested the Le Rim duet would be a little while longer, and so lunch was covered for later eating and attention turned to the next, and largest room- the main room.

The main room had been grandmother's primary workspace. It was not exactly an inviting place with most of the floor space taken up with tables filled with half-complete projects ranging from circuit boards to a jigsaw puzzle. One desk held the HAM set which was Hisoka's joy. A few folding chairs were the only sitting surfaces, and very little space existed for them to be set up. Navigating the room required planning, and could only be done by the small and thin. The walls were covered either by bookshelves or artworks apparently from past students. The bookshelves held an eclectic mixture of books and student artifacts.

For the most part, the room remained untouched from its state the day grandmother died, and addressing the room suddenly seemed less appealing. It was only after a few more moments of introspection that Hisoka realized Keiko had sidled up to the table with the jigsaw puzzle and was making rapid progress on it, despite the difficulty level. Hiromi was standing quietly next to her and occasionally feeding the silent kohai a piece. It was clear Keiko had experience with puzzles and a mind for geometry. _Interesting_.

Hisoka decided she'd let Hiromi continue undisturbed with the girl and started focusing on quietly organizing and stowing the material on grandmother's soldering table. While Hisoka felt very much at home with circuit boards and transistors, she was pretty confident her time with such would be spent in the Spica electronics lab and not here.

The two redheads were so involved in the puzzle that they didn't even break from it when the two Le Rim girls came in ready for food. Hisoka helped serve the Le Rim duo and immediately then kicked them back outside before they interfered with the dynamic underway. Subaru made a quiet parting quip about leaving the family alone to do family things, but didn't seem too annoyed at being tossed back out with Mayumi. It looked like they were preparing to start sawing and chopping the collected deadwood for firewood- something that would eventually be appreciated given the massive fireplace that helped make the building so special.

Hisoka returned with bowls of lunch for the two puzzle masters and found they were just finishing up- success having been achieved. Hisoka was very pleased to see a smile, not much of a smile but a smile, on the smaller girl's face and hair swept back of her own accord to reveal her eyes. _Good job, Hiromi!_

"Good job, you two," Hisoka said as she placed bowls and chopsticks for the two in the open space next to the puzzle. "I'm impressed. I was never patient enough for those things."

"They're fun," Keiko offered completely unprompted.

"Have you done many of them?" Hisoka prompted.

Keiko looked down at the puzzle and was silent for a long time. Hiromi remained still over Keiko's shoulder, quietly eating her food in a standing position while waiting with Hisoka for the girl to say what she would.

"I used to do jigsaw puzzles with my grandmother," Keiko added. "That was a long time ago," and then silence. Keiko only then seemed to notice the two older girls looking intently at her and started to shrink into herself again.

_Oh no you don't!_

"So, what else did you like to do with your grandmother?" Hisoka prompted.

Keiko seemed to realize then that she was trapped between Hiromi's eyes behind her, Hisoka's in front, and tables on both sides. She started looking for an out and spotted bookshelves. She quickly dived under the table with the puzzle and came up to then slip over to the case of books. "We read," she continued as she made to look over the shelves.

_Wow she's good at this_. A look at Hiromi showed she was similarly impressed at Keiko's slipperiness, but also baffled as to why. Hisoka continues to ponder the conundrum that was Keiko while looking at Hiromi when her roomie started waving her chopsticks and pointing in the direction of the bookshelves. Hisoka turned around to see Keiko had pulled out two books and was laying them gently on the electronics table Hisoka has recently cleared. They looked old by the looks of them, and French. _Why does it have to be French?_

Hiromi gently placed her bowl down and the two roommates slowly made their way around the puzzle table and over the where Keiko was poring over the two texts. Hisoka wasn't sure about the open book, but the closed one's front was alien to her. 'Les Fleurs du mal' by a Charles Baudelaire, Second Edition. "Bad Flowers?" Hisoka interpreted uncertainly.

"The Flowers of Evil," Keiko corrected. "A first and a second edition. I didn't even know a first edition existed in Japan, much less on Astraea Hill. I think if Aunt Hamasaka knew this was here, she'd burn the house down." The girl continued intently reading the book before her, apparently not even realizing she'd referred to Hamasaka in the familial sense.

Hisoka looked over at Hiromi, who again just shrugged and then started peering over Keiko's shoulder to scan the pages with her. Hisoka began peering over the other shoulder but it quickly became apparent she couldn't keep up with the much more fluent redheads. In fact, it soon became apparent from Hiromi's expression that the Shadow Pixie was leaving Hiromi in the dust. _This is amazing given Hiromi scores consistently third in our class in French placement._

"Keiko-chan, we can't keep up with you and we haven't heard of this book before," Hisoka admitted. "What is it about?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was actually going slow so you could follow along," Keiko shared. "It's not about any one thing. It's a book of poems."

"As much as I hate to admit it, Keiko-chan, my French is very weak. Hiromi here tutors me, but we're not even sure I'll pass the term exams next month."

Keiko stopped reading and looked up at Hisoka, connecting eyes for the first time since that first roomkeeper introduction. This time, the look was earnest and excited. "But it's a beautiful language, Uchida-sama. Some of the most passionate literature of the western world was written in it, including this rather profane beauty." The girl's hand gently caressed the page as she said that last.

She looked back at the book and moved the pages back to the front and began reading from the forward,

"If rape and poison, dagger and burning,  
>Have still not embroidered their pleasant designs<br>On the banal canvas of our pitiable destinies,  
>It's because our souls, alas, are not bold enough!"<p>

"Not something you'll find in the Astraea library, wouldn't you say?" she said and she turned back to her senpai with an arched eyebrow. She continued, "Uchida-sama, let's read this one together," and the girl slowly worked through _Les __Métamorphoses __du __Vampire_ with Hisoka. She then did the same much more quickly with Hiromi and the longer _Lesbos_. "I've only heard these poems read to me years ago, this is actually the first time I've read them myself. These books are amazing. I wonder what else is here?" Keiko then proceeded to carefully replace the two books she had withdrawn and scan the other titles. Nothing seemed to excite her quite as much as her initial find, but she clearly remained impressed.

Hiromi spoke this time. "Keiko-chan, where did you get introduced to Baudelaire if not here on Astraea Hill?"

"My grandmother," The girl answered while still scanning the shelves. "She spent much of her life in France and insisted on speaking French exclusively in her house when we lived together. I started learning French from my mother, who was also fluent. At home mother spoke French, father English, and I got Japanese everywhere else of course. I remember my parents holding whole conversations when I was very young where they'd each speak their preferred language to the other for hours- back and forth. Grandmother liked scary stories in French, and she'd read some of the more banal poetry, like Baudelaire, to me before bedtime. It brings back some good memories."

"Keiko-chan," Hiromi began after allowing Keiko a chance to continue if she wanted, "as Hisoka-chan indicated she is struggling with French. I'm not having much luck inspiring her." Hisoka looked at Hiromi sharply, but Hiromi's responded with a slight shake of the head. "You might have better luck. I know it turns the usual roomkeeper relationship on its ear, but would you consider tutoring Hisoka? I think you're her best chance."

Keiko stopped looking at the shelves and stood up straight, still looking away from the older girls so her expression was shrouded. She was silent for a few moments, and then spoke. "Are you doing this to draw me out because Sister Hamasaka asked you or because Hisoka-senpai really does need the help?"

_Obviously she'd know something was up because Sister Hamasaka handed her the roomkeeper assignment_.

Keiko pulled her hair back behind her ears again and turned to face the older girls. "I really am having fun today and appreciate what you're trying to do, but I'm going to be blunt. Don't get close to me. People who get close to me get hurt. If Hisoka-senpai really does want to learn French, I'll be happy to try and teach her. I know enough about senpai to know she can learn anything if she really wants to, and it's mostly about inspiring her interest. I'll do it, but if this turns out to be some pity trip, I'll leave. I'm perfectly fine on my own and don't need anyone else." Keiko then slid past her senpai and proceeded to walk by the table with her now cold rice and slip around the corner leading to the rest of the house, leaving the rather stunned Miator roommates looking at each other speechless.

*****PGBR*****

The rest of the day was highly productive when it came to cleaning, not so much on the Keiko front. Keiko was amazingly industrious, but managed to ensure she could make do with one word answers when anything required her response. By the end, the outside, kitchen, main room, hallways, and bathroom were in solid shape. The two bedrooms and small study remained untouched, both due to lack of time and a general reluctance on the part of Hisoka, Subaru, and Mayumi to engage those areas quite yet. The girls called it quits around 3pm, locked things up, and gravitated back to Strawberry Hall…Hiromi going on ahead with the mower.

"Are you up for working on French with me tonight after dinner and until dorm curfew?" Hisoka asked Keiko as they approached the hall gate.

"That would be fine. Your room or the study hall?"

"I'd prefer my room. Everyone knows my struggles with French, but I hate making it obvious."

"Fair enough. I'll be there after dinner."

"Be sure to wear your apron, roomkeeper kohai."

Keiko responded with a glare at her senpai, which along with a shaking head dissolved into a smile. "Do you want me to start fawning over my oneesama next, like one of my vapid peers?," She said with mock swooning drama, upturned hand on her forehead. She then came back to Earth and with a smirk said, "I'd point out the cost of the frontal lobotomy that would require, but I know how wealthy your family is and you might just take me up on it if I offered."

"No, kohai, until I figure you out, I wouldn't want to change you."

Keiko's smile faded. "There's an old saying, senpai. Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it. I was serious when I said not to get close to me. I like you, and I like Hiromi-senpai. I like Subaru-senpai and Mayumi-senpai. I don't want you four getting hurt."

The enigmatic young redhead then turned and picked up her pace, returning to the Hall ahead of the others.

* * *

><p><strong>***Authors Note***<strong>

I'm not exactly a fan of Baudelaire, but he keeps coming to mind as I think of Keiko. We know she's known eventually as a scholar of literature, so I wanted to establish her as heading down that path even as young as she is. I realize she doesn't "sound" twelve. Consider her a prodigy when it comes to language and literature, something she is working to impress on Tamao in the present day. I thought _Metamorphosis_ was a good fit given her dark reputation and demonstrated fascination with death. It should definitely give more grist for Hisoka's (and my reader's) thoughts on the girl. I also thought _Lesbos_ was a fitting poem for Keiko to run through with Hiromi. ;-)

For those not familiar with Baudelaire, he was a French contemporary of the American Edgar Allen Poe, and is generally seen as coming from the same stock. I have appended the two poems in question below. As Keiko alluded, they along with four others were banned after the first edition of _The Flowers of Evil _was published. They did not appear in the second edition, hence why Keiko found the two volumes together to be so fascinating. These are English translations and so they do not flow quite like the original French apparently does. I prefer Poe myself, if just because I can actually read his original text with the author's intended flow.

**Metamorphosis of a Vampire**

The woman meanwhile, twisting like a snake  
>On hot coals and kneading her breasts against the steel<br>Of her corset, from her mouth red as strawberries  
>Let flow these words impregnated with musk:<br>— "I, I have moist lips, and I know the art  
>Of losing old Conscience in the depths of a bed.<br>I dry all tears on my triumphant breasts  
>And make old men laugh with the laughter of children.<br>I replace, for him who sees me nude, without veils,  
>The moon, the sun, the stars and the heavens!<br>I am, my dear scholar, so learned in pleasure  
>That when I smother a man in my fearful arms,<br>Or when, timid and licentious, frail and robust,  
>I yield my bosom to biting kisses<br>On those two soft cushions which swoon with emotion,  
>The powerless angels would damn themselves for me!"<p>

When she had sucked out all the marrow from my bones  
>And I languidly turned toward her<br>To give back an amorous kiss, I saw no more  
>Than a wine-skin with gluey sides, all full of pus!<br>Frozen with terror, I closed both my eyes,  
>And when I opened them to the bright light,<br>At my side, instead of the robust manikin  
>Who seemed to have laid in a store of blood,<br>There quivered confusedly a heap of old bones,  
>Which of themselves gave forth the cry of a weather-cock<br>Or of a sign on the end of an iron rod  
>That the wind swings to and fro on a winter night.<p>

**Lesbos**

Mother of Latin games and Greek delights,  
>Lesbos, where kisses, languishing or joyous,<br>Burning as the sun's light, cool as melons,  
>Adorn the nights and the glorious days;<br>Mother of Latin games and Greek delights,

Lesbos, where the kisses are like cascades  
>That throw themselves boldly into bottomless chasms<br>And flow, sobbing and gurgling intermittently,  
>Stormy and secret, teeming and profound;<br>Lesbos, where the kisses are like cascades!

Lesbos, where courtesans feel drawn toward each other,  
>Where for every sigh there is an answering sigh,<br>The stars admire you as much as Paphos,  
>And Venus may rightly be jealous of Sappho!<br>Lesbos, where courtesans feel drawn toward each other,

Lesbos, land of hot and languorous nights,  
>That make the hollow-eyed girls, amorous<br>Of their own bodies, caress before their mirrors  
>The ripe fruits of their nubility, O sterile pleasure!<br>Lesbos, land of hot and languorous nights,

Let old Plato look on you with an austere eye;  
>You earn pardon by the excess of your kisses<br>And the inexhaustible refinements of your love,  
>Queen of the sweet empire, pleasant and noble land.<br>Let old Plato look on you with an austere eye.

You earn pardon by the eternal martyrdom  
>Inflicted ceaselessly upon aspiring hearts<br>Who are lured far from us by radiant smiles  
>Vaguely glimpsed at the edge of other skies!<br>You earn pardon by that eternal martyrdom!

Which of the gods will dare to be your judge, Lesbos,  
>And condemn your brow, grown pallid from your labors,<br>If his golden scales have not weighed the flood  
>Of tears your streams have poured into the sea?<br>Which of the gods will dare to be your judge, Lesbos?

What are to us the laws of the just and unjust  
>Virgins with sublime hearts, honor of these islands;<br>Your religion, like any other, is august,  
>And love will laugh at Heaven and at Hell!<br>What are to us the laws of the just and unjust?

For Lesbos chose me among all other poets  
>To sing the secret of her virgins in their bloom,<br>And from childhood I witnessed the dark mystery  
>Of unbridled laughter mingled with tears of gloom;<br>For Lesbos chose me among all other poets.

And since then I watch from Leucadia's summit,  
>Like a sentry with sure and piercing eyes<br>Who looks night and day for tartane, brig or frigate,  
>Whose forms in the distance flutter against the blue;<br>And since then I watch from Leucadia's summit,

To find out if the sea is indulgent and kind,  
>If to the sobs with which the rocks resound<br>It will bring back some night to Lesbos, who forgives,  
>The worshipped body of Sappho, who departed<br>To find out if the sea is indulgent and kind!

Of the virile Sappho, paramour and poet,  
>With her wan pallor, more beautiful than Venus!<br>— The blue eyes were conquered by the black eyes, ringed  
>With dark circles, traced by the sufferings<br>Of the virile Sappho, paramour and poet!

— Lovelier than Venus dominating the world,  
>Pouring out the treasures of her serenity<br>And the radiance of her golden-haired youth  
>Upon old Ocean, delighted with his daughter;<br>Lovelier than Venus dominating the world!

— Of Sappho who died the day of her blasphemy,  
>When, insulting the rite and the established cult,<br>She made of her body the supreme pabulum  
>Of a cruel brute whose pride punished the sacrilege<br>Of her who died on the day of her blasphemy.

And it is since that time that Lesbos mourns,  
>And in spite of the homage the world renders her,<br>Gets drunk every night with the tempest's howls  
>Which are hurled at the skies by her deserted shores.<br>And it is since that time that Lesbos mourns.


	6. The Neighbor

**Echoes of the Past**

**The Roomkeeper: Part VI**

**The Neighbor**

Saturday, June 1, 1996, early afternoon

"So, Keiko-chan," Nakahara Subaru asked, holding up a cardboard box brimming with clothes, "Which bed are you planning to sleep on?"

"Hmmm," the diminutive new occupant of the dorm room designed and furnished for two roommates queried thoughtfully as she looked up from her own load. "Is Venus the morning or evening star right now, Subaru-senpai? I'll go with the east or west bed depending on whether we see Venus at sunrise or sunset."

The young astronomer's face lit up with the tiny girl's creative solution to the problem and her eyes went unfocused briefly as she dug through her mind for her response. "Neither right now. She's a daytime star currently almost dead on the sun relative to Earth. That said, she's edging towards night, so we'll go with west," the aptly named Subaru answered after a moment's thought. The Le Rim girl then proceeded to place the box upon the opposite bed on the east side of the room, leaving it there at least until unpacking started. "Where _did_ Hiromi-chan end up?" the brown haired Le Rim girl asked rhetorically as she straightened up, placing hands behind her hips to help stretch her back, and looked questioningly toward the door to the hallway.

"She's coming down the hall now," Keiko added after a brief, thoughtful pause of her own, her focus back on her belongings and nowhere near the door or the hall.

Subaru stopped to listen and soon enough she began to hear the sound of her extroverted friend in conversation with someone. _How does she DO that?_ Subaru wondered yet again at the remarkable little Miator first year, the youngest girl on campus despite her over three year's residence in Strawberry Hall.

"…should be moved in by dinnertime. We're really excited to have her closer. Thanks for asking!" The striking young redhead who had been the original subject of Subaru's inquiry then entered the room lugging her own apparently deceptively heavy box.

_Books by the look of it._ Subaru quickly caught Hiromi's attention. "Go ahead and stick boxes on this bed until we unpack. She's sleeping on the other bed," the Le Rim girl said, beckoning the fiery Miator fourth year to the appropriate surface with a nod of her head as she spoke.

"Sounds like a plan," Hiromi responded before dropping her load unceremoniously next to Subaru's, causing the bed and everything on it to bounce with the sudden weight. The crimson-haired girl then proceeded to stretch and rub her left shoulder, apparently having strained herself a bit carrying all the paper. "I still say it's a bummer we can't have Mayumi-chan's help. That archer of yours is stronger than the three of us put together and would make quick work of all this."

The roommate of said archer shook her head vigorously. "First off silly, while that may be true given she's, like, an _athlete_, seeing her as a heavy lifter wouldn't exactly help her image," Subaru chided her Miator peer. "Second, the last place she wants to be is in THAT room, and I doubt Sister Hamasaka would have been thrilled to be dealing with her back in there either. Anyway, Saturday after classes is prime practice time. Le Rim and Miator are having a friendly little competition this afternoon too, and it wouldn't do to have Le Rim's team captain as a no-show." Subaru didn't even try to hide her pride in her beloved roommate.

"I s'pose," Hiromi said with a shrug, although she did have to smile at Subaru's transparentness when it came to the exceptional blonde girl who had long ago captured her heart. "I guess it's as valid as Hisoka's excuse that she's in her Saturday afternoon tutoring and music lessons. Still, for once I think old Hisoka is glad she's got that going and doesn't have to be doing this."

"Perhaps" Subaru responded, a little uncertain. "Then again, she seems to enjoy spending time with the kōhai. Isn't that right, Keiko-chan?"

"I don't know about that, Subaru-senpai," Keiko said, her expression doubtful before shifting as the child smirked slightly. "Lately she groans whenever she sees me. I think it's more that she appreciates her renewed hope of passing the French term exams at the end of this month, hope that comes from our drills. Without it, she's stuck here while everyone else goes to the beach. For someone as ridiculously smart as she is, I was shocked to discover how dismal her French skills really were."

"Hey! I'd been working hard with my dear, dense roommate. She just didn't care!" Hiromi protested.

"I certainly can't argue with that," the younger girl readily admitted as she multitasked conversation along with ordering her small personal book collection on the shelf above the desk on the west side of the room. Given her small stature, she had to stretch to reach up that far and the older girls couldn't help but note how cute the little redhead looked standing on tippy toes while speaking so maturely as she organized books in five languages. "My otherwise overachieving upperclassman didn't see any reason to learn French; nothing about it inspired her. Even as smart as she is, if she's not curious I think her mind just keeps drifting to more interesting things…a target rich environment for her. The key was to find things of interest to her that happened to be in French. We're using the correspondence of Marie Curie right now as a learning tool. It's way over her level, honestly it's over mine insofar as I have no clue about the science, but Hisoka-senpai is captivated by reading the real words of one of her heroes, and motivated to make it through more since I won't just translate it for her."

"Wow!" Subaru was impressed both at the creative approach as well as to the stunning linguistic sophistication of the young prodigy. _Her Japanese is better than mine, as is her English and French. If she didn't look like she was even younger than the eleven years old she is, I'd forget she's not my age._ "That's an imaginative solution. Hook her with something enticing and then reel her in. Have you considered being a teacher?"

The girl's brow furrowed at the unexpected suggestion and she paused her organizational efforts, instead backing away from her desk to look thoughtfully at her work so far. "Not really. I don't think anyone would trust me like that…" The young redhead then shook herself, apparently realizing again she was actually starting to share. "I think I'll go for another load," she finished before diving out the door.

The two older girls waited a few moments before Hiromi continued with a deep sigh. "That's been the way of it the past two weeks, both for me and also as reported by Hisoka. Whenever the dam seems to break and she starts actually saying something about herself, she catches herself and either changes the subject or finds a reason to leave."

"Mayumi has been saying that for two years," Subaru shared. "She says Keiko-chan is a mystery to her, that she can't ever get a sense of the girl's feelings no matter how hard she tries. Whenever she tries to bring up the whole Death's Angel experience to thank her, the little thing finds a way to disappear or dodge the issue. She's more slippery than a goldfish. I've got the other girls in the Mystery Club trying to glean anything else about her, but so far nothing we haven't already been talking about. She's the classic mystery wrapped in an enigma boxed up in a conundrum."

Hiromi sighed again as she began picking absently through the open box of clothes Subaru had recently placed on the bed. "Well, at least I finally got Sister Hamasaka to agree to let her have her own room. Shouri-chan wasn't exactly happy to hear she was going solo, meaning there are now two solo Miator first year students, but Hamasaka was adamant she would not be rooming with anyone. I think the good Sister only agreed to this arrangement when we got the girls across the hall to agree to a move so Keiko-chan would be close to us. 'Aunt' Hamasaka practically had Hisoka sign in blood that she would ensure her niece followed curfew and didn't leave Strawberry Hall grounds at night. Her vociferousness about it seemed really weird to Hisoka, but she wouldn't explain herself."

"Yeah, old Hamasaka approached me about that too. She said something about me 'ably controlling Nobutame-san' and hopefully I'd be a similarly moderating influence on you three. I just smiled and thanked her for her confidence in me even as I wanted to slap her silly for being insensitive and stupid. I know she's a product of her generation, but for Heaven's sake she almost killed Mayumi and seems to be following the same path for Keiko-chan despite her misguided 'good' intentions."

"Oh wow! She really said that about 'controlling'?" exclaimed Hiromi rhetorically. "I assume you don't want this mentioned to Hisoka or Mayumi-chan?"

"Absolutely not! It would just peeve Hisoka-chan off and Mayumi, bless her, would go into a funk I'd have to put up with until summer school. No thank you!" Subaru finished adamantly.

Hiromi chose to let the conversation slide and focused on emptying boxes and placing things like books and such in what seemed logical places. Subaru did likewise. Things continued that way until the sounds of a metallic 'whack, whack' could be heard coming down the hallway along with quiet conversation.

Subaru and Hiromi knew what the sound meant, and so they finished what they were doing and prepared for a guest.

"Good evening, Etoile-sama," Hiromi and Subaru said in unison with a respectful bow as the source of the sound came into view through the open door.

The girl on brace crutches, clad in Miator summer green and sporting the red stone necklace of her position, nodded in return. Little Keiko was seen following respectfully in her wake. "You both know you can skip the formalities with me. I'm just Chie in private to you two."

The two girls who had been in the room smiled and moved to clear the path as the beloved Etoile Cadette made her way methodically to the empty bed. Keiko dutifully helped the girl by taking one crutch, allowing Chie to leverage her other crutch and her braced legs to get her safely perched on the edge of the bed. Keiko then took the other crutch while Chie settled herself comfortably back on the bed so that she was steady. Other than Keiko's assistance with the crutches, no one made any effort to assist her with her movements. They knew from long friendship with the girl that it would be both unnecessary and offensive.

"So," Chie said brightly once she was comfortably settled, "I heard what was going on from Shouri and thought as Etoile that I'd shamelessly invite myself to the room warming of my school's most popular student." Hiromi smiled to see Keiko's blush at the words and the wink the red stone's bearer directed toward her.

"I wouldn't exactly call it popularity," Keiko said shyly to the unexpected, and likely to her unwelcome, recognition.

"You've managed to eclipse your room senpai here from her previously unrivaled perch as the most talked about girl on campus after you became the Dynamic Duo's roomkeeper. Her fan club is all in a tizzy about what this means for their idol. I think we may need EMTs on standby when they discover you're moving in next door to their goddess, you know. I hope I'm there to see the action." The glint in Chie's eyes made clear she really did want to see their reaction first hand.

The grin on Subaru and even Hiromi's face suggested the two shared Chie's perverse enjoyment of the idea as well. "They needed to be shaken up anyway," Subaru added. "It'll be good for them, and good for Hiromi-chan to not be seen as just a player. If she can get past that, I can't see anything standing in her way of being Etoile in another year, other than the whole partner thing."

"Perhaps Keiko-chan might apply. Hmm?" Chie offered out of the blue, looking toward the girl with an arched eyebrow and slightly cocked head.

"Etoile-sama!" the suddenly flustered Keiko exclaimed in protest, her face now beet red in a close approximation of her hair. "Please don't tease me."

_That's the biggest reaction anyone's ever gotten out of Keiko_, Hiromi noted with curiosity. _Interesting…_ Hiromi then noted Chie gazing now at her, apparently waiting for a response from the 'most eligible girl on campus' and the oft assumed heir apparent for either her position or that of her Etoile Aînée.

"There's no guarantee I'll run," Hiromi pointed out honestly. "As Subaru-chan notes, I'm not one to settle with any single partner. I don't like being tied down. The idea of a whole year with just one girl makes my skin crawl. I won't have anyone thinking they own me."

"Perhaps…" Chie said thoughtfully, clearly not ready to give up on the idea of Hiromi as Etoile. Hiromi had the sense of being a sheep in the care of a very skilled sheepdog. _I wonder where she's leading me…_

"Anyway," the Etoile continued after several moment's thought, "I really am glad to see this all happening. I've not seen Hisoka this happy since I met her. Even with you two and Mayumi-chan around, she's still always had a dark cloud hanging over her and it's nice to see sunshine on her face for a change. You're a good influence on her, Keiko-chan."

While Keiko's furious blush had subsided somewhat, it was clear she was still very uncomfortable, although perhaps not entirely unpleased, to remain the focus of the conversation. Hiromi could only imagine what must be going through the child's mind given her stated aversion to being attached to people and vice versa. The tiny girl's gaze remained down, her fingers fidgeting with a hem on her green Miator summer uniform.

"I've also been pleased to see the shadow lifting for you as well, kōhai," Chie continued when Keiko didn't respond. "Your mood had been brighter the past week in ways I never thought possible. As Etoile it is my job to maintain harmony and enhance happiness around here. I was clueless what I could do for you, but it appears Hiromi-chan and Hisoka have figured out the secret formula to bringing the Shadow Pixie into the daylight."

Keiko, clearly overwhelmed now at Chie's words, looked around her at the gazes of her audience. The little girl's eyes shimmered with emotion, and Hiromi was pleased to note that primary among them didn't seem to be panic like would have been the case had this conversation happened just the previous weekend. "Um, if we're to be done by dinner I should go fetch another load. Etoile-sama, if you'll excuse me," Keiko bowed quickly and again dove from the room before she revealed any more of herself.

Silence ruled the room for a while as the three girls remaining in the room stared at the empty doorway. It was Subaru who spoke first. "Um, we've been trying not to push her too hard, Chie-sama. Wasn't that laying it on a bit thick?"

Chie looked thoughtful a moment before sighing and leaning herself back in the bed with her hands holding her up. "I suppose I am meddling. Still, I'm probably hearing more of the rumors flying through the schools right now than you are since you're part of them. I think Keiko-chan knows about them but as usual she either doesn't care or she's pretending she doesn't care. I can never tell which it is with her. It hasn't mattered before, but now it does. I feel we need to start preparing to engage them."

"Rumors?"

"Keiko-chan has always been the ghost story of Strawberry Hall ever since she came here so many years ago. Mysterious, dark, even frightening." Chie paused and looked to Subaru before biting her lip and continuing. "Especially frightening after the stories of what happened in her bed in Sister Hamasaka's room made the rounds after Mayumi-chan's solution to her own problem. She's Monsieur Erik in the shadows of Strawberry Hall, to steal a metaphor from Leroux. There have always been whispers of her being a witch or some such. There are some who see the four of you as bespelled by the girl."

"What!" Subaru and Hiromi both exclaimed in unison.

Chie nodded with a wry expression on her face. "Given the oddness that has always surrounded Hisoka and the discomfort many feel regarding Mayumi-chan, it makes for great story weaving. I wasn't kidding when I said your fans are having fits, Hiromi-chan. There are some who appear ready to begin a holy crusade to save their goddess from the fiery little demon."

"If that's what they're concerned about, they can have all the fits they want," Hiromi exclaimed, clearly incensed at the idea. Her humor at having a fun club was no longer quite so funny anymore. "That's ridiculous! Hisoka just has an odd way of thinking, but she's often appreciated for it. Heaven knows how many girls have come to her for counseling over the years. As many as you, I'd wager, Chie-sama."

"'Tis true," Chie agreed, but not surrendering the argument one bit. "But seeing her and Keiko-chan becoming so close brings a whole new dimension to how people see things. Given Hisoka's other best friend is Mayumi-chan and, well, you get the picture."

"Why can't people just mind their own business?" Subaru shared her bitter frustration at again seeing her beloved partner dragged through the mud of people's prejudices.

"Because then they have to start acknowledging their own flaws, Subaru-chan," Chie responded with sad logic. "It's so much easier to simply poke at the flaws of others and feel proud at how they are so much more messed up than you are. This current situation couldn't have been better packaged if it had been cooked up by Hollywood."

Subaru clearly wanted to argue, but couldn't. She deflated visibly, still frustrated but no longer indignant.

"Chie-sama," Hiromi continued, returning to something Chie had said earlier that had intrigued her, "you said you felt Keiko-chan was happier. How can you tell? Other than just now happened, her face is a mask even when she seems to be enjoying herself. Hisoka calls her a brick wall."

"So does Mayumi," Subaru added with a furrowed brow, her now dark mood unable to interfere with the young scientist's infamous curiosity.

"I don't pretend to have the insight of your two roommates," Chie started addressing the new subject, "and I agree Keiko-chan's face doesn't give anything away, but having never been able to walk normally in my life I have always had a fascination with movement." Chie caught Subaru's eyes before offering an analogy. "I think given your close association with Mayumi-chan that you can appreciate fascination with something everyone around me has yet I can never quite have." Subaru's eyes widened, then she nodded with pursed lips indicating her frustration was unabated. Chie continued making her point. "If you watch Keiko-chan's walk, it is more confident, more hopeful for want of a better phrase. There's a determination in the steps whereas before her movement was pure caution. She used to remind me of a rabbit, although I always felt she had hidden claws. I've very much enjoyed watching the change in her and will do anything in my power to ensure it doesn't fade away again. Katsumi feels the same way."

Mention of her beloved Aînée seemed to increase the Etoile Cadette's sense of determination, and she brought that intensity to bear on Hiromi. "I have no idea what you two are doing to draw the girl out, but if any help is needed you have but to ask and we'll do it. I've never known a girl so haunted as that one, and it will be my greatest accomplishment as Etoile if she can truly turn her face toward the sun this year. If we can banish that cloud over Hisoka, so much the better. Looking at them, I'd like to think they will be the best thing for each other. Clearly they each need somebody and I think those two are the most likely in this world to understand the other."

Hiromi marveled at the insight of the nearly immobile woman. The 'sensual typhoon,' as Subaru described her, knew she and Chie were often compared to each other regarding their charisma. It wasn't a terribly apt comparison to Hiromi's mind, but no one else knew her reasons for feeling that way. Hiromi could perceive that Chie inspired love and loyalty through the simple way in which she interacted, her guileless manner which was so refreshing given the intrigue that forever plagued Astraea Hill. Her gentle presence had changed the entire tone of Hill politics for the past several years. In addition to her Aînée and lover, the presidents of Spica and Miator both would quite literally do anything for her for no other reason than they adored her for who she was. Hiromi felt the familiar pang of envy at the ease in which Chie could inspire the natural devotion of such potent personalities, and she could only wonder what Chie's departure from Astraea would mean for everyone left behind to continue her legacy. "How did you get to be so wise?"

Chie chuckled as the question, and her eyes danced in amused response to the awe behind the redhead's words. "I'm not sure if it's wisdom or folly, really. I just watch people. I'm not like you, Hiromi-chan. There is a tempest to you that I admire as much as you admire my manner. The entire Hill dances to your music. I'm not even like Subaru or Katsumi in how they tackle a problem and wrestle it into submission. I'm more flora than fauna, really. I can't reach out and change the world. I simply watch and gently nudge where I can from wherever I'm planted, quietly providing oxygen to those who make real change."

"I'm not so sure, Chie-sama," Subaru countered. "I can't tell who has this place wrapped around her finger more, you or Hiromi-chan."

"Oh I'm nothing like Hiromi-chan," the Etoile protested, shaking her head as she addressed the Le Rim girl. "I'm a gentle breeze that stirs change, she's a typhoon that is the spirit of change itself. Just being around her is exhilarating, isn't it?"

"I'm not sure that's the word I'd use," Subaru countered as she rolled her eyes, "but then I've never really understood what the fuss is about with her either. I just know she's never going to make it through a door with everyone but Hisoka-chan and I inflating her head like that. She has an ego the size the Imperial Palace Grounds as it is."

Hiromi smiled. She could always depend on Subaru and Hisoka to keep her humble. "I wouldn't exactly call me a typhoon…except maybe in bed." Hiromi winked, her mood lightening. "I'm just like any other girl in that I like to get my way. I'm just better at it than most. I'm glad I have Hisoka and Subaru to prick my balloon when it get's too big."

"That's what friends are for," Subaru said helpfully as she poked Hiromi on one breast as if poking a balloon.

Hiromi grinned as she looked down and then across to her friend. "Shall I tell Mayumi-chan you were shamelessly fondling me this afternoon while she was fighting valiantly to uphold the honor of your school against mine?"

Subaru stopped and glared at the Miator redhead. "You're no fun."

Hiromi's grin simply shifted to a coy smile before she turned her attention back to the Etoile. "Anyway, Chie-sama, what to do about the rumors?"

"For now, keep doing what you're doing," Chie responded simply. "The more 'normal' Keiko becomes, the more the rumors will lose their punch."

"And what about Hisoka-chan and Mayumi?" Subaru voiced the obvious next question.

"Neither of them would be able to leave this alone if they knew," Hiromi responded. "Given her family background and status, Hisoka gets forceful and direct when confronted with reasoning she sees as stupid. She'd apply a cleaver where a scalpel is called for, and likely just confirm everyone's fears. And Mayumi-chan…"

"Mayumi is the perfect gentleman and goes all chivalrous, fighting for the lady's honor which once again doesn't really help her case" Subaru once again grimaced at the frustrating double standard her lover would always live under at Astraea. "The Etoile Aînée, the Presidents of Spica or Miator, any of the acknowledged Princes can do it but heaven forbid Mayumi show any traces of masculinity."

"Speaking of defending a lady's honor, I think you worry more for hers than she does," Chie chided gently.

"I don't want to see her hurt, Chie-sama," Subaru responded defensively, surprise evident on her face at the unexpected volley. "I nearly lost her once already, the next time we might not be so lucky. Being female means more to her than her own life, and she means more to me than my own. I won't allow anyone's stupid prejudice to take her away from me."

"Perhaps," Chie allowed as she pushed herself back up to sit straight on the bed. "I just worry sometimes you see Mayumi-chan as a bonsai tree, attempting to prune her into the perfect female rather than simply letting her find her own form. Her femininity is innate; it doesn't come from you or anyone else. She should be allowed to become her own woman just like any of the rest of us."

Subaru eyes narrowed at the Cadette's words. "You haven't held her as she cries, Chie."

"No I haven't," the Etoile admitted. "But is the reason for her tears that she's afraid of disappointing nameless others or because she's afraid of disappointing you?"

Subaru's initial response was to straighten up in indignation. The shock on her face turned to anger as she opened her mouth to speak…but then she stopped. The other two present watched quietly as the Le Rim girl's mouth closed as she deflated back into her chair. Her eyes, however, remained trained on the Cadette's own. "Damn you for being right."

"I take no joy from it, Subaru-chan. I won't pretend to know what it's like to be Mayumi-chan, I just have a feeling she'll only be truly happy if she can be herself. It may be in the end, that's what this was all about for her. Not male or female exactly, both and neither, but simply Mayumi."

Long moments passed as Chie and Subaru gazed at each other, Subaru clearly wrestling with her own fears and Chie providing quiet reassurance through the Le Rim girl's struggle. Finally the young astronomer took a deep breath and sighed it out. "I need to think on this. We don't need to solve it right now."

Hiromi decided it was time to bring the conversation back to the issue at hand. "So we don't tell Mayumi-chan or Hisoka. I agree with Chie-sama that Keiko-chan knows, but I also can't tell what she thinks about it. I suppose I'm the best person to talk with her about it."

**/*/**

"Yes, Hiromi-senpai," Keiko replied through tight lips but not allowing her pique to come through in her tone. "I've heard the rumors. I didn't even have to try. Some girls in my class gossiped in my full hearing, pretending as if they were trying to speak quietly while knowing full well I could hear their every word." She'd been annoyed at the time and her senior's reminder of the incident did absolutely nothing but fuel her indignation at her stupid classmates although she did her best not to show it to the girl sitting across from her.

The two Miator redheads were currently working on a new jigsaw puzzle on the worktable in the living room of the Groundskeeper's Cottage. Hiromi had gotten this particular puzzle, a 6000 piece monster depicting a Paris cityscape, specifically in the hopes of drawing her kōhai out a little. When she had purchased the puzzle, the intent had been to engage the private girl in conversation about her grandmother. Unfortunately, as is often the case, life is what happens when you are making other plans.

"Why didn't you say something to us?" Hiromi admonished her kohai gently, not wanting to spook the girl as she reached over to attach a new piece to the puzzle. From her new position leaning over toward the child on the opposite side of the table, she looked up to meet Keiko's eyes and emphasize her next point. "You don't have to do everything by yourself anymore, you know. You have friends who care a lot about you."

"What could I say? What could anyone say?" Keiko snapped, exasperation with the conversation vying with annoyance at the challenge of finding the correct spot for the next piece. She resented Hiromi's manipulation of her passion toward finding the answer to a problem, in this case the puzzle, which prevented her from running like she usually would have done when things got too personal and it only added to her anger. "It's not like this was an isolated incident. I keep telling you all to keep your distance from me. You haven't listened and I doubt these silly stories will be enough to change that. In some ways I wish it were."

"Why?"

"Because it'll just get worse. It always does."

"Why?"

Keiko's anger flared and she slammed the piece in her hand down on the table, causing the nearby loose pieces to jump and even disrupting the puzzle itself. "Because I can never be happy, Hiromi-senpai!" she spat. "I'm like the biblical Job. Anyone I care about gets hurt. Everyone around me pays the price for my curse. Why can't you just accept that and move on with your lives!"

"You're not making sense, Keiko-chan," Hiromi tried to calm her distraught junior. It was the first time she'd seen so much emotion from the much younger girl. She wasn't sure she liked it. "As much as you speak beyond your years, you're just 11 years old. I know you've had a hard time in life, but I can't imagine whatever it is that has made you so dark could really be all that bad."

"Exactly!" The pre-teen screamed; her trademark tight control finally breaking completely, she cursed aloud for the first time in her young life. "You can't imagine! You have no fucking idea what my life has been like! You're like a rock star wherever you go. Everyone loves you and you can have anything you want! How could you possibly imagine my problems!" With those words Keiko slammed to her feet, knocking her chair on the floor as a sharp punctuation and spun to escape the house along with her tormentor.

With her back turned, Keiko couldn't see the storm of emotions quickly overtaking her senpai's features. "You presumptuous little bitch." The unexpected words, spoken with quiet yet ferocious intensity hit her like a tsunami. She was suddenly swamped and tossed on wave after wave of pain, hate, fury, and loneliness paralleled only by that already in her heart. The typhoon of emotions impacted her like a physical blow and threatened to extinguish Keiko's awareness even as her need to flee skyrocketed. The younger girl desperately struggled to overcome the force of emotions being aimed at her, but they managed to resonate so harmoniously with her own dark feelings that she couldn't figure out where her own ended and the new ones began. Her mind and her body were frozen in place as she heard a chair forcefully kicked back and footsteps approach her.

"You say no one can understand what it's like to be you? Okay, I get that. But you're a God damned hypocrite to then claim you understand what it's like to be me! You have no fucking clue! What good is it to have everyone love you when they have no _choice_ in the matter? You speak of curses? What about being cursed to never have the love of someone who wants me freely, just for being _me_?"

As Hiromi continued to rage at her, Keiko tried desperately to find some way to stem the tide of emotions battering at her already reeling psyche. Drawing on old skills long used to hide herself and her pain, the Shadow Pixie allowed her own feelings and those she knew somehow to be coming from her senpai to wash over her as she fled to a dark corner of her mind to try to understand Hiromi's words along with the agonizing heartache being forcefully thrust into her. She could feel her body slump nerveless to its knees but it didn't really concern her. She had far more pressing matters to concentrate on.

_How is it possible that someone like Hiromi - someone who has the love of everyone instead of their fear and disdain - could possibly be unhappy? _But the force and complexity of Hiromi's feelings demanded that Keiko accept that it was more than possible. That it was, in actuality, a fact to her senpai. That never knowing whether someone loves or even likes you for yourself rather than for some unknown reason, whether it be pheromones or something else, could be just as horrible as never being liked in the first place. Who could she trust? Who could she love? Who could _ever_ truly love her?

"Hisoka-senpai loves you," Keiko whispered from her current position on the floor, her hands loosely to her sides and her face gazing without comprehension at the shoes arranged neatly by the door.

At those words, the emotions flooding over the youngest Miatoran slowly abated somewhat as Hiromi responded. "Yes, yes she does, although I have no clue as to why. As she likes to say, she's more than two standard deviations from the mean." The emotions further diminished and Keiko could hear a chuckle from behind her. "I never have fully understood what that means, but she assures me it indicates she's weird. As if the phrase itself didn't already tell me that."

The tidal wave of emotions was finally running back to its source, but not fast enough to keep her from unconsciously opening her mouth and speaking the words that she'd been denying for so long. "I-I love you, too, Hiromi-senpai." This last was said almost under her breath and wasn't intended to be heard, but the older girl apparently had very keen hearing. The emotions that had been bombarding her for what seemed like ages abruptly ceased, as if the valve for an out of control faucet had been finally shut off, leaving her once again only with her own feelings, feelings now jumbled and confused as hurt and anger made way for…she couldn't quite say. All she knew was that the emotions she now had were her own and not the product of some outside influences.

"I know, kōhai. I know." Keiko felt a presence close behind her as two arms wrapped themselves around her, closing with hands clasped at her stomach. She could feel breath filtering onto her scalp as Hiromi's face buried itself in her hair. "So please then let us love you, dear one. Don't keep us at arms length and don't keep hoping we'll go away. Keiko-chan, Hisoka and I will always be there for you. Always. No matter what happens, no matter what demons haunt you, we will always love you. Stop doubting that."

Keiko now recognised what she was feeling, the intensity of her adoration for the girl behind her, her desire to release it all and trust herself entirely to the other person, and briefly she questioned the source for it. She didn't understand Hiromi's strange influence over people, but for years she had been able to perceive its effects on others and witness it in action. Today, scant moments earlier, she had even felt it directed toward her. As such, knowing what to look for, she could tell her feelings at this moment were hers and hers alone. And those feelings overwhelmed her as she crumpled completely to the floor and wept six years of pent up anguish and despair, all the while her beloved senpai held her safe and tight against herself.

* * *

><p><strong>***Author's Note***<strong>

**CHIE** (恵): "wisdom."

I will be curious to see how many of my Voices readers actually read this chapter. I hope you all do since this chapter and the five preceding it will have a profound impact on the next four Voices chapters. Despite their attendance at Miator, these three friends and their fates are bound tightly with Chikaru and her mother.

This chapter was the hardest to write of any I have ever written. I want to thank CelticX from the bottom of my heart for taking me in hand a bit and mentoring me through the process of resuscitating my writing. This chapter would never have happened without you, and you have the gratitude of myself and all those readers who enjoy this little story of mine. :-) I wish to also thank ninemil, who while not yet a reader of mine due to academic responsibilities, has also provided some wonderful conversation and insight surrounding this delightful property. I look forward to your take on my work when the term is done, and I very much am eager to continue our philosophical discussion when exams allow.


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